adidas and Foot Locker invited us to be part of the first Harden Invitational Battle of the Blogs Draft. We got to pick a squad of four players that will compete against Sole Collector, Complex and Overtime at All-Star Weekend. We picked Chris Matthews, Tyler Relph, Brian Macon and Cedrick Middleton. Watch the video above to […]

adidas and Foot Locker invited us to be part of the first Harden Invitational Battle of the Blogs Draft. We got to pick a squad of four players that will compete against Sole Collector, Complex and Overtime at All-Star Weekend.

After being revealed by Nick Young and Brandon Ingram in December, the Three Stripes have officially unveiled the adidas Crazy Boost You Wear, their newest basketball silhouette. The Crazy BYW takes a big inspiration from adidas’ Feet You Wear line.

Their famous Feet You Wear sneakers were started by 1996’s adidas EQT Top Ten 2000 when Kobe Bryant was one of the original players to lace up the tech. And now with the BYW, the line is getting beefed up. Here’s more tech info straight from adidas:

The upper features a blend of soft breathable knit, coupled with hints of leather and embroidered details to keep this modern take premium yet functional. Preserving the shoe’s distinctive lacing system maintains a connection with its ‘90s roots while other subtle nods in the upper design look to transition past and present to create a new chapter within the Crazy collection.

The adidas Crazy Boost You Wear, retailing for $170, drops in limited quantities on January 27 and then receives a global launch on February 15.

The NBA’s going through a change in the way that players approach sneakers. Colorways are louder, style is more important. Special edition customs are sweeping the League and more players are wearing mismatched pairs.

The Nike Kyrie 4 debuted in the “Confetti” colorway, a mismatched callback to the confetti that fell when the Warriors defeated the Cavs in last year’s Finals. Klay Thompson was the man guarding Irving throughout that series and his Christmas Day KT3s featured one red and one green model at the same time.

Harden wore his exclusive “Legacy” Vol. 1 in Boston earlier this week. He also has a “Free Meek” colorway that Kickstradomis whipped up for him. But his customs weren’t the only time Harden broke necks this month. Adidas quietly previewed the Harden Vol. 2 and the Beard also laced up the Harden BTE for the first time since it was seen months ago.

He was one of a handful of adidas athletes that went hard this month. Taurean Prince wore the T-Mac 5 “All-Star,” following up last month’s appearance of the T-Mac 5 “Bred.” Besides paying homage to T-Mac, Nick Young played in the Crazy 8 and he introduced the adidas Crazy BYW, along with Brandon Ingram.

But the biggest news from this month is that John Wall appears to be headed back to the Three Stripes. He played in the “Florist” Wall 1 a few days ago, a sneaker that was released more than three years ago.

James Harden was in the spot, of course, and so were his new sneakers. We got a quick look at the adidas Harden Vol. 2.

There’s no specific tech info on the adidas Harden Vol. 2 but it definitely has a BOOST outsole, a Primeknit toebox and a hybrid-cut, somewhere between a low and a mid. Though we got a good look at the Vol. 2, the Three Stripes haven’t shared any release info or pricing details. Stay tuned for more from the adidas Harden Vol. 2.

The Crazy BYW is built using BOOST technology as a foundation. It’s complemented by what looks to be a combination of Primeknit, mesh and leather that’s featured on the upper, the tongue and the toebox.

Adidas hasn’t offered any official information about the specific technology, and there’s no word on a release date or price info. But keep it locked for what’s sure to be more to come from the adidas Crazy BYW.

MVP. Champion. Hall of Famer. Sneaker icon. Kobe Bryant retired as one of the most influential forces in the history of basketball sneakers. We picked out the most important pairs of kicks he laced up in each of his 20 NBA seasons.

1996-97: adidas EQT Elevation

adidas threw big money at Kobe before he ever played an NBA game, even before he grew out his hair, and it paid off instantly. He became the youngest player to ever win the Dunk Contest with a pair of purple PEs on his feet.

Kobe’s first season as a starter was shorter than usual thanks to a lockout, but it signaled his breakout year. His second sig with adidas had the same proprietary “Feet You Wear” tech as its previous incarnation, only with a more wavy design.

1999-00: adidas THE KOBE

The KB8 III aka EQT Responsive came and went to little fanfare before adidas struck lightning with the KOBE’s futuristic, Audi-inspired silhouette. The Lakers steamrolled the Pacers in the NBA Finals, and Kobe’s star was reaching new heights with a slick new shoe.

2000-01: adidas THE KOBE

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kobe and the Three Stripes decided to let the original KOBE design ride for another year. With it came another Lakers’ Championship, and the unforgettable yellow “Sunshine” colorway Bryant rocked during the All-Star Game in DC.

2001-02: adidas THE KOBE TWO

The evolution to the KOBE TWO was logical but jarring. The moon-boot look was maybe just one step too crazy, and it would be the last Kobe shoe built by adidas. But damn if that #veryrare American flag colorway wasn’t absolute, Shaq-approved fire.

2002-03: Air Jordan VIII PE

After his adidas deal expired, Kobe’s one season as a sneaker free agent included everything from Air Force 1s to Reebok Questions to Converse Weapons. Late in the year, he hung 55 on MJ and the Wizards, while paying tribute in a pair of purple and gold Jordan VIIIs.

2003-04: Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4

Kobe officially inked with Nike, and even before the sneaker-heads at the Swoosh could get his signature line started, he grew to love the Huarache 2K4. Simple, lightweight and fly as hell, Kobe made the 2K4s one of the most popular shoes in the L.

2004-05: Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K5

The Lakers missed the Playoffs, but Kobe’s kick game didn’t disappoint. For the second straight season, Nike’s premier bball performance design didn’t have his name on it, but let’s be real: Kobe was the one making it hot.

2005-06: Nike Zoom Kobe 1

Kobe’s first signature sneaker as a Nike athlete coincided with one of the greatest individual performances in history—the January night in Los Angeles when he exploded for an unconscionable 81 points against the Raptors. Bryant won his first scoring title in the ultra-durable, ultra-supportive Kobe 1.

2006-07: Nike Zoom Kobe II

In ’07, Kobe won his second All-Star Game MVP and became just the second player in NBA history to score 50+ points in four straight games (word to Wilt Chamberlain). His revamped Kobe II featured the addition of a velcro strap.

2007-08: Nike Zoom Kobe III

After a hiatus from the Kobe II, legendary designer Eric Avar returned to create the sleek, ultra-lightweight Kobe III. The Mamba won his lone NBA MVP award after a summer of swirling trade rumors, and the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the Finals.

2008-09: Nike Zoom Kobe IV

Since the sport’s inception, high-top basketball shoes were the standard. Then the Kobe IV came along and changed the sneaker game forever, introducing a revolutionary low-top cut and all-new Flywire technology. The results? An NBA Finals trophy and one of the most beloved sneakers ever.

2009-10: Nike Zoom Kobe V

Fully committed to the low-cut look, Kobe wore the “Big Stage” V in the Playoffs, one of 33 colorways Nike would cook up for the Mamba. The Lakers won the title for a second straight season, and Kobe won the Finals MVP in back-to-back years.

2010-11: Nike Zoom Kobe VI

Wrapped in a reptilian skin, the Kobe VI was somehow lower, lighter and even more responsive. The Kobe line continued to represent the best-fitting sneaker on the court, and the most sought-after in the game, in unique colorways like “Grinch,” “3D,” and “FC Barcelona.”

2011-12: Nike Kobe VII System

Celebrities like Aziz Ansari and Kanye West were featured in a memorable ad campaign for the #KobeSystem, the first Kobe signature sneaker with two removable inserts. Dubbed “Attack Fast” and “Attack Strong,” the VII offered both low and high ankle cuff options.

2012-13: Nike Kobe 8 System

Inspired by the Chinese Year of the Snake, Nike designed the 8 to enhance Kobe’s quick first step. In April, before he went down with a devastating Achilles injury, he became the first player ever to put up 47 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 3 steals in an NBA game.

2013-14: Nike Zoom Kobe 1 “Prelude”

Kobe only played six games in 2013-14, returning in December from the Achilles only to go down again with a knee injury that would cost him the rest of the season. He wasn’t on the court to debut the Kobe 9, but he pulled out some heat from Nike’s “Prelude” pack.

2014-15: Nike Kobe 9 ELITE

An out-of-the-box departure from previous models, the Kobe 9 went super-high top but stayed lightweight thanks to the infusion of Flyknit, Flywire and Lunarlon all in one shoe. Once again Kobe was a year late to wear it on-court, and the Kobe X followed shortly with its namesake out for the season after rotator cuff surgery.

2015-16: Nike Kobe XI

With the X already a staple around the League, the XI was the perfect shoe for Kobe’s farewell season. Elegant but strong, simple but innovative, street but sophisticated, Avar but so, so Kobe. Billed as the perfection of Nike Flyknit in a basketball shoe, it was his final on-court sneaker. Peace, Kobe.

The adidas Dame 4 returns this week in a pair of new colorways. The “Rose City” (above) is done up with a white and grey upper, red and white accents and a marbled grey midsole. It draws inspiration from Damian Lillard‘s favorite flower, the rose, also connected to the City of Roses, where Lillard plays.

The other colorway dropping is the “Static,” a nod to Lillard’s ability to tune out the extra noise. The “Static” Dame 4 makes use of “Multi-color upper inspired by TV color bars and Dame’s motivation to eliminate distractions both on and off the court,” adidas says via press release.

Both of these adidas Dame 4 colorways drop on Friday, for $115 on adidas.com.

The Celtics are still roaring through the League, sitting with an NBA-best 18-4 record. Kyrie Irving is leading the charge with an MVP-caliber season that’s been punctuated by a slew of unbelievable colorways in the Nike Kyrie 3. He wore five new PEs this month, solidifying his standing with the Sneaker of the Month.

PJ Tucker, Lance Stephenson and Terrence Ross also got crazy in November, showing off incredibly rare Jordan Brand and Nike silhouettes. Stephenson and Ross are sneaker free agents this season after their deals with AND1 and Li-Ning expired. They’ve wasted no time in hitting the hardwood in heat. Tucker, the reigning Sneaker MVP, hasn’t slacked at all. He laced up the Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Solar Red.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/kicks/best-nba-kicks-november-2017/feed/02017 NBAEDamian Lillard on the adidas Dame 4, the Evolution of His Sneakers and His Friendship with Lil Wayne...http://www.slamonline.com/kicks/damian-lillard-dame-4-lil-wayne/
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We caught up with Dame for a conversation about how far his signature sneakers have come and why Weezy continues to support him.

Now six years into his career, Damian Lillard has solidified his reputation on and off the floor. It’s common knowledge that he’s a walking bucket, a lethal clutch scorer and a no-nonsense competitor when the bright lights are on. And he’s been consistent in inspiring kids from Oakland to Oregon and everywhere else he goes when he’s not hooping. He’s spread a message of hard work and humility on his two albums, letting kids know that respect and passion can get them far in life.

Lillard, an Oakland native, has that unmistakable California patience about him, no matter if he’s in the booth, on the street or on the hardwood. He moves at his own pace, stays true to himself and is supremely confident that when the moment comes knocking, he can answer the call.

Lillard was at adidas’ NYC store yesterday, smoothly navigating through a crowd of about 10 kids that got the lucky chance to cook up some custom Dame 4 colorways with him. Lillard hopped in and out of helping the kids scroll through options on miadidas and signing autographs and taking pictures with people who just wanted to say what up.

Lillard, as always, was cooling throughout, chopping it up with the kids and showing off a PE version of the adidas Dame 4, his newest signature silhouette that’s sweeping the League.

“I saw guys wearing the 2,” Lillard says in between designing colorways. “It was never as often as I do now [with the 4]. I keep seeing it. I’m seeing it in college, I’m seeing a lot of people wearing it around. A lot of people posting. A lot of guys around the League wearing different color ways. For me, it’s a good feeling. This shoe is the one.

“My first shoe, I was just so in love with it,” he continues. “I didn’t care how comfortable it was, I didn’t care what it looked like. I was like, This is my first shoe! I was really excited about it. But it could’ve been better. Then my second shoe I was really excited about it. At some point I was like, ‘I wish I had this, or, I wish I had that.’ Then once we got to the fourth one, I was like, ‘Man, I really, really love this shoe.’”

Jesse Rademacher, Design Director for adidas Basketball and the head designer on the Dame 4, likes to joke about how Lillard should have an office on the adidas campus because he’s so involved in the design process of his sneakers.

“I was there so much that there was a group of women in one office, in the HR office,” Lillard says with a grin. “And they were just like, ‘You’re here so much that we’re just going to make this your office over here. You’re going to have a table and you’re going to have your own corner.’ They actually put my jersey up there, a poster, and that was my corner. That was my cubicle. That’s a real story.”

Lillard’s stories are starting to pick up as much steam as his game. His music and his sneakers are all about the narrative.

“I think telling [stories] through sneakers, it’s more of an imagination,” the Blazers point guard says. “You try to figure out what colors match up with that time. It’s not something as simple as I went to Weber State, we wore purple. Like, ‘Glow in the Park,’ coming up with the materials to give it the feel of the story that you want to tell. With music, you’re just using words, you’re letting people hear it. But they’re not there to see it so you’ve gotta use the words to paint a picture to make them feel like they witnessed whatever it is that you’re telling.”

The 27-year-old says he finds inspiration through the connections he’s built with his fans, both young and old.

“I’ve been huge on finding ways where I can connect with people, connect with fans,” he says. “They may not be in the same position as me but they aspire to be. People who are even adults that wish they could’ve been a professional athlete or done music or been some type of public figure, I try to connect with those people as often as possible. My inspiration comes from the storytelling.”

His songs have featured Jamie Foxx, Raphael Saadiq and 2 Chainz, amongst others. But maybe most importantly, he’s been on two songs with Lil Wayne. Weezy made the trip up to Portland a few weeks ago to see Lillard and the Blazers beat the Thunder.

“Being who he is, the level of star that he is, he’s not just going to support anything,” Lillard says. “I mean that as far as my music. He’s not just going to do a song with me, or send me a song to get on because we cool. That means he respects me. He’s not going to come all the way to Portland and catch a game, wear the shoe if he didn’t respect it and like that as well.”

Lillard spends some more time on miadidas and talking to a few kids before he heads down to the first floor of the Three Stripes store, where a huge line of people are waiting on him. It’s Dame time.

When he wasn’t playing ball or making music, Damian Lillard was at the rollerskating rink in Oakland.

“When I was younger, we were skating all the time. There were always skates at my grandmother’s house and we’d do that at home,” Dame said, via press release. “When I got to high school, every Saturday we’d drive to the skating rink and we’d be there all night skating. Every weekend that’s how it was. Everybody skated. We put a lot of time in working on our game. But when you think about it, this is the one life you get to live. You’ve got to find other things that interest you. That’s why I do music and that’s why I skate. Because you got to let your mind go other places, create that balance and enjoy it. Skating and rapping is that for me.”

Adidas cooked up the “Glow in the Park” Dame 4 in honor of Lillard’s love of skating. The new colorway has a dark gray upper with burgundy and neon blue midsole splatter and a glow-in-the-dark outsole.

Pay attention to Damian’s Instagram for details on how you could skate with Dame in Portland at Oaks Park.

The adidas Dame 4 “Glow in the Park” releases tomorrow, November 17, exclusively at Eastbay for $115.

The Cavaliers and Rockets affair was the quite the show for basketball and sneaker fans with stars LeBron James and James Harden absolutely filling up the stat sheets in player exclusives of their respective signature models. The Beard led Houston to the 117-113 victory and finished the night with a triple-double in a black patterned colorway of the adidas Harden Vol.1 while James brought out yet another colorway of his LeBron 15s.

P.J. Tucker made sure to make his presence known as he rocked a pair of Air Jordan Countdown pack retros in the Air Jordan XVI and the Air Jordan X. Not to be slept on, Dwyane Wade wore a navy colorway of his Li-Ning Way of Wade 6, Iman Shumpert donned some electric Nike Kyrie 3 customs and Jeff Green wore the “Veterans Day” Air Jordan XVIII Retro. But Chris Paul killed the game softly in a pair of buttery “Jeter” Air Jordan XI Retro PEs in navy suede and white complete with tonal navy leather laces.

Get a rundown of the rest of Thursday’s sneaker game in our latest gallery up top.

The “0.9” on the laceband is a callback to when Lillard broke the Rockets’ hearts in the 2014 playoffs, ending their season by drilling a three-pointer with 0.9 seconds on the clock.

“I just couldn’t believe that a moment like that happened to me,” Lillard said on Desus & Mero. “As a kid you walk away from the court like, ‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1…’ and on that stage to make that shot it was just crazy. I remember when I made the shot and I turned around, in my mind I really felt like it was going in all along. But when I turned around and I couldn’t hear my teammates, I had a two or three second moment where I was like, ‘I can’t believe it went in. That really happened.’”

The adidas Dame 4 makes use of a hybrid-cut silhouette that features a mesh upper and reworked BOUNCE outsole.

“If BOOST didn’t exist, BOUNCE would be the greatest cushioning technology in the market, in terms of energy return and responsiveness,” Jesse Rademacher, the 4’s lead designer, told us in October. “We really wanted to amplify all the benefits of BOUNCE. BOUNCE is really meant for Dame’s style of play. With those extreme angles and unpredictability, BOUNCE actually provides Dame with that cushioning setup he’s looking for.”

With 10 games on the NBA slate, Sunday’s action gave sneakerheads plenty of eye-candy. We start off in Houston where James Harden had the night’s best performance as he tallied a career-high 56 points in a white/heather grey PE of his adidas Harden Vol.1.

Continuing on in Cleveland, LeBron James once again rocked two PE pairs of his Nike LeBron 15 while Jeff Green rocked another strong Air Jordan XXXII PE. The Air Jordan XXXII continued to shine with several other notable PE models including Jimmy Butler’s all-white low, Cody Zeller’s Hornets flavored number and the best look yet at Victor Oladipo‘s Pacers model.

“My proudest moment is when he graduated college,” Gina Lillard says through an adidas press release. “I wouldn’t allow Damian to go to the NBA early until he finished school. When they talked me into letting him go months before he was done with school, all I could tell him was ‘You need to make sure you finish. I’m not playing.’ I didn’t even know he was going to back to school and when he told me he graduated, I was so happy because that was the main goal in everything I did for [my kids].”

That story was the inspiration for the “From Start to Finish” adidas Dame 4. The sneaker’s grey and silver are accented by purple hits, a nod back to Lillard‘s time at Weber State.

Adidas also put 25.6.4 on the lace-band “to commemorate the moment in time during his final year that Dame garnered national attention and the eyes of NBA scouts.”

The adidas Dame 4 “From Start to Finish” is available now for $115 on adidas.com.

Zach LaVine has reportedly made the switch from Nike to adidas, according to ESPN. LaVine has worn Nikes ever since coming into the League in 2014, rotating through a stable of retro and current Kobe Bryant sneakers.

The 22-year-old is moving on, though, agreeing to a four-year contract with adidas worth $35 million.

“I was looking for a partner that would grow with me as my career continues to unfold,” LaVine told ESPN. “Adidas convinced me that I have a chance to legitimately become a face of the brand.

“The direction the company is going in from a branding perspective has been impressive,” LaVine continued. “In recent years, they’ve been innovative and creative with both their marketing strategies and products. The way they positioned themselves and explained to me that I’d lead their next wave of players was huge.”

Adidas, with their focus on lifestyle sneakers and apparel, as well as innovative basketball silhouettes, has built out a roster of young and athletic players, including Andrew Wiggins, James Harden and Damian Lillard, among others. LaVine will return to wearing their products, like he did during his lone season at UCLA in 2013-14.

LaVine tore his left ACL last February and is on track to make his Chicago Bulls debut at some point this February. He was the key piece in a draft night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota.

LaVine’s contract with Nike included a match clause, allowing the Swoosh to retain LaVine. They declined that option, freeing the two-time Dunk Contest champion up to become one of the faces of the Three Stripes brand moving forward.

Damian Lillard’s made sure that time has become a part of his on-court reputation. When the fourth quarter clock is quickly ticking down, the Blazers are trailing by a point or two and all hope seems to be lost, that’s when Lillard steps up. That’s Dame Time.

“We started by asking him about his journey and the key moments that got him here,” Jesse Rademacher, the lead designer on the adidas Dame 4, says. “Time became a theme.”

Lillard spends his days with family, at the studio or cooking up ideas with his design team at adidas.

“It’s amazing working with Damian, to have such a true creator really embody the essence of creativity,” Rademacher says. “We work with a lot of athletes that can’t really articulate what it is they want.”

For his fourth signature sneaker, Lillard wanted an updated hybrid-cut silhouette with a reworked BOUNCE outsole.

“If BOOST didn’t exist, BOUNCE would be the greatest cushioning technology in the market, in terms of energy return and responsiveness,” Rademacher says. “We really feel that BOUNCE is best for him and he really agrees. Going from the [Dame] 3 into the [Dame] 4, we changed up the BOUNCE setup. We really wanted to amplify all the benefits of BOUNCE. BOUNCE is really meant for Dame’s style of play. With those extreme angles and unpredictability, BOUNCE actually provides Dame with that cushioning setup he’s looking for.”

Complementing the BOUNCE midsole is a new traction pattern.

“The traction has a flow to it,” Rademacher says. “With Dame and any great athlete, you’re always trying to get into a flow state. That’s where time slows down. Your focus is extremely sharp. The flow and the movement of the outsole pattern is derived by Dame’s movements and his attacking style. It changes direction where Dame needs the change of direction. These lug patterns are actually split and divided based on that type of mentality. It allows greater deflection of the lug. To get the best grip possible, you want the lugs to actually deflect before they slip. If they don’t deflect, then they’re going to have grip for a moment but then they’re going to slip.”

Rademacher’s team built a new inner-bootie, too, thanks to a new lacing system. Rademacher says the sneaker “totally encapsulates the foot” by using a compression collar.

Rounding out the new aspects is the ventilated mesh upper, the teeth-like grooves on the midsole, which are meant to mimic the audio files that Dame D.O.L.L.A. creates in the studio, and a message on the heel that reads YKWTII, standing for “You Know What Time It Is.”

Lillard loved the sneaker so much that he accidentily unveiled them way ahead of schedule.

“He’s always wearing these shoes. Whether he’s boxing, whether he’s in the gym, whether he’s in the studio, he wouldn’t give us the shoes back. We tried to tell him to keep quiet on social [media] but you could see that he wouldn’t take them off,” Rademacher says with a laugh.

The 4 also offers a space for people to tell their own stories through Dame’s kicks.

“With Dame, he always has a focus on the community and he takes a lot of pride in doing things for kids. Part of that is allowing people to express themselves,” Rademacher says about the 4’s customizable miadidas page. “Colorways is just one way to do that. You, as a creator, you get to participate in the process.”

Which means that from Oakland to Oregon and everywhere in between, it’ll always be Dame Time.

The first two weeks of the 2017-18 NBA season are in the books. While the Cavaliers and the Warriors have struggled to maintain their dominant ways so far, their stars have had no difficulty in pulling off fire on-court sneakers.

LeBron James has been playing in the Nike LeBron 15 this season, the silhouette he calls his favorite to date. For the Cavs’ opening night game against the Celtics, James debuted the “Equality” colorway. The sneaker speaks for itself but, as a reminder, James, Stephen Curry and the NBA were pulled into a storm of stupidity a few weeks earlier. And the King made sure to make a statement with his opening night sneakers.

Curry’s been playing in the Under Armour Curry 4 since last June and he debuted a new colorway of the 4 against the Mavs. It features a clean white upper and a gradient on the midsole, transitioning from a speckled white to blue, leading up to a yellow version of his logo.

Taurean Prince and Nick Young, two more Three Stripes athletes, flexed with their own special silhouettes. Young broke out the adidas Gil Zero 2 in a white and silver colorway, while Prince showed support for Breast Cancer Awareness by customizing a pair of Crazy Explosives with a pink hue.

There was more appreciation shown for Breast Cancer Awareness from Jimmy Butler, Stanley Johnson and Langston Galloway. Butler played in a pink Air Jordan XXXII Low, Johnson laced up the Nike Kyrie 3 “EYBL” and Galloway, somehow, played in the Nike Air Zoom Generation “Gloria,” an ultra-rare sneaker that was made in 2004 and hasn’t seen the light of day in a long, long time.

Pusha T’s collaborating with adidas for the fourth time with the upcoming “Bodega Babies” EQT Support Ultra drop. Though Pusha grew up in Virginia, he was born in the Bronx and he spent his summers back in the Boogie Down. He’d be at the corner store for most of that time, learning about life.

Pusha T’s newest colorway is a tribute to all those days and nights he was at the bodega. The “Hard Beige” colorway is meant to replicate the paper bags that you put your groceries in, or use to hide beer or liquor. The beige is seen across the Primeknit upper and throughout the sneaker’s fishscale overlays. The sneaker also features a BOOST midsole and premium “King Push” engraved metal lace locks.

The adidas Originals EQT Support Ultra King Push “Bodega Babies” releases worldwide on November 3 in highly limited quantities for $220.

While Chicago rookie Lauri Markkanen stole the spotlight with his clutch three-pointer late in the game while rocking an all-red Nike Kyrie 3, Chicago’s Robin Lopez put forth another workmanlike effort in the night’s most colorful kicks. Lopez once again took the floor in his “Sideshow Rob” custom adidas Crazy Explosive Low 2016s which he showcased several days ago on his Instagram.

Kyrie Irving spoiled Milwaukee’s “Return to the Mecca” as he rocked a crisp white/green pair of his Nike Kyrie 3 in leading Boston to the 96-89 win. Bucks’ star Giannis Antetokounmpo had another monster game as he tallied 28 and 10 in the “Detached” Nike Kobe A.D. Mid.

The night’s biggest star was DeMarcus Cousins’ as he made a successful return to Sacramento dropping 41 points to go with 23 boards in the Pelicans’ 114-106 win. Cousins once again took the floor in his white/gold colorway of the Nike Air Max Dominate. And out in Los Angeles, Blake Griffin went into super hero mode as he dropped a game-winning three pointer in his “Game Royal” Jordan Super.Fly 2017 to send the Clips to a victory over the Blazers.

Langston Galloway stunted the hardest, going with the ultra-rare Nike Air Zoom Generation “Gloria.” The colorway, named after LeBron’s mother, dropped back in 2004 in very limited quantities, mostly for friends and family of the King.

Just when it looked like Carmelo Anthony–in his Jordan Melo M13–had hit a potential game winner for OKC, Andrew Wiggins sprung into action. Rocking his trusty adidas Crazy Explosives, Wiggins dropped a deep buzzer-beating three on Oklahoma City to lead Minnesota to a thrilling 115-113 victory. Russell Westbrook scored 31 in a pair of his Air Jordan 30.5 PEs while Jimmy Butler brought out a navy PE of the Air Jordan XXXII.

In Los Angeles, the Pelicans got their first win of the season with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins leading the way in the Nike Air Max Dominate. Lonzo Ball dropped a near triple-double in his BBB ZO2 Prime Remix while Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers in scoring in the Nike Kobe A.D. Mid “Optimism.”

Out in Brooklyn, D’Angelo Russell led the Nets to a victory over the Hawks in an all-white pair of the Nike Kyrie 3.

A line of fans stretched all the way around 2nd street, just off Marin Boulevard in Jersey City, NJ. They’d been waiting outside of Packer Shoes for hours, and the ones at the front of the line had been there damn near all day. The breeze rolling in off the Hudson River kept the weather cool and the sun, just starting to set, was still providing some warmth.

They had come from all over the New York and New Jersey area to see Kristaps Porzingis. The pride of the Knicks was on his way to Packer for the very limited launch of his adidas Crazy Explosive 17 PE. The blue and orange sneaker was already sold out and all the people waiting down the block were the lucky ones who were able to secure a pair beforehand.

At 7-3, with long-ass arms and a skinny frame, KP’s impossible to miss. So when he hopped out of his car, the entire street filled up with noise. They cheered his name, clapped and yelled for his attention. The Knicks now belong to the 22-year-old kid from Latvia.

We chopped it up with the future of New York hoops just before he spent two hours signing autographs and taking pictures with everyone who had made the trip.

SLAM: How closely did you work with the design team to cook up this colorway?

Kristaps Porzingis: I told them what I like and they put it on paper. Actually, I like this one a lot but it’s not my favorite one. There are other colorways that I prefer more. I like clean stuff. I like white and orange. As the season goes on, I’m gonna rock different colorways and it’s gonna be pretty cool. But this shoe is beautiful.

KP: Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed playing in high top shoes. How it looks is awesome. You can also wear it [off the court]. That’s what I love about the shoe. And it’s made for basketball. It’s not a big man shoe, it’s not a guard shoe. It’s for everybody. I feel like the shoe fits my game.

SLAM: Sneakers and New York, they’re snynomous with each other. And you’re out here with kids lined up around the block to get your sneaker. It’s a huge deal to have a sneaker drop in NY. Did you ever expect this when you signed with adidas?

KP: It was a dream of mine to have my own shoe and have people wearing my shoe. It was already a dream of mine to have somebody buy my jersey and it was unbelievable when I saw kids wearing my jersey. So now that my player edition shoe [is out], it’s pretty unbelievable. And I won’t believe it until I see somebody wearing them.

SLAM: You’ve been here in New York for a few years now. What comes to mind when you think about New York and sneakers?

KP: New York has a lot of sneakerheads. A lot of people that love sneakers and that appreciate the culture and the history and everything about it.

SLAM: What about in the locker room? You’ve got Willy Hernangomez, Joakim Noah and Kyle O’Quinn, who are also adidas guys.

KP: Yeah, of course. Even non-adidas guys a lot of times ask me about the shoes and if I can get them a pair of NMDs or Ultra Boosts. Adidas is the best shoe out there for me.

SLAM: Adidas is climbing up the ranks right now. What are you guys doing that’s giving you all of this momentum?

KP: We’re different. We’re creative. That’s what sets the brand apart from other brands. We’re at the top right now and with the players that we have, we’ve got to keep going up. Lifestyle’s always been at the top. Adidas has a lot of swag.

SLAM: Speaking of swag, what’s the most popular Three Stripes sneaker off the court right now?

KP: Obvisouly the Yeezys. The Yeezys are also one of my favorites. But there’s just so many. The Ultra Boosts, NMDs, they’re unbelievable. They’re super comfortable, everyday shoes that looks cool with everything. I don’t think anything can beat that.

SLAM: Joakim and Kyle both have big personalities. Does one of them stand out as the bigger jokester?

KP: Kyle is just super funny. He just wants to joke around all the time. He actually has funny jokes and once he starts going, he’s just unstoppable. The whole bus ride, he’ll be cracking jokes.

SLAM: When he’s not making jokes, what do you guys listen to on the bus or in the locker room?

KP: Actually Kyle was the DJ today. When we were lifting we were listening to some Meek Mill. But we have all kinds of different songs. When we warm up, we have some Nas, some Biggie. We switch it up all the time. Guys [on the Knicks] have good taste in music.

The adidas Dame 4, Damian Lillard’s fourth signature silhouette, is officially here. The sneaker has a mesh upper and a full-length BOUNCE midsole. It also has, adidas says in a press release, “unique grooves for creating space against defenders [and] an evolved traction pattern.”

Those grooves on the midsole represent Dame’s passion for music and the audio waves he creates when he’s on the mic.

The heel has a message to all the doubters, featuring “You Know What Time It Is.” That’s a nod to Dame’s clutch shooting in the fourth quarter. DAME CERTIFIED is featured on the sockliner with the motto “Patience Persistence Purpose,” a phrase that the Blazer’s point guard lives by. Here’s more straight from adidas:

— 35.12 – Breakout game stats that put Damian on coaches’ maps in high school
— 25.6.4 – Nation-leading stats that got Dame noticed during his final season at Weber State
— 6 – Selected as the No. 6 overall pick and averaged 19 points, 6.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game to earn 2013 Rookie of the Year
— 0.9 – With just .9 seconds remaining on the clock, Dame drained a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in 2014 and Dame Time was officially born
— 0 – 0% chance critics gave Dame on his journey from Oakland to Ogden to Oregon

College recruiting has always had a reputation for being a grimy business with lots of under-the-table dealings. Many have equated sneaker companies recruiting young athletes as potential endorsers in the same manner. And with the FBI announcing corruption and fraud charges today involving college coaches, sneaker execs and even a sports agent, the aforementioned connotations likely won’t be going away any time soon.

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice revealed a two-year investigation involving executives at adidas (Jim Gatto — head of global sports marketing, and Merl Code), college assistant coaches (Auburn’s Chuck Person, Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans, Arizona’s Emmanuel Richardson, and USC’s Anthony Bland) and sports agent Christian Dawkins, as well as a financial advisor and even an AAU coach. In total, 10 individuals have been arrested.

The investigation has revealed “numerous instances” of bribes paid by athlete advisers, among others, to assistant coaches and sometimes directly to student-athletes at N.C.A.A. Division I universities, the complaint said. The bribes were designed to get commitments from college stars to work with specific agents and companies after they turned professional, or to convince coveted high schoolers to attend specific universities.

One of the three indictments charges five people with wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme to pay high school athletes to attend particular universities. Those indicted include James Gatto, identified as the head of global sports marketing, basketball for “Company-1.” Though the company is not named, Mr. Gatto works for Adidas in that role.

The indictment says about $100,000 was paid to the family of “Player-10,” a heavily recruited high school all-American, to steer him to a particular college. It says contemporary news accounts described his college decision, announced this past June, as a surprise. Payments were made to other players’ families as well, the indictment says.

The player and university are not named, but it is identified as being in Kentucky, and details point to the University of Louisville, which has an identical enrollment to University-6. This summer, Louisville signed a 10-year, $160 million apparel contract with Adidas.

Another complaint charges that Mr. Person abused his coaching position to solicit and obtain bribes from a financial adviser and business manager for professional athletes, in return for his agreeing to direct certain of the school’s players to the adviser when they entered the N.B.A.

Mr. Person accepted a total of $91,500 in the case, the complaint says, and passed about $18,500 on to the families of two athletes. The adviser, who is not identified, has been cooperating with the authorities, the complaint says. Mr. Person faces bribery, wire fraud and other charges.

A third indictment charged the other assistant coaches with accepting payments to steer players to specific agents. The coaches named are Lamont Evans, an assistant at Oklahoma State and a former assistant at South Carolina; Emanuel Richardson, an assistant at Arizona; and Tony Bland, an assistant at U.S.C.

While there was plenty of news to talk about at each team’s facility yesterday, there was also breaking sneaker news. James and Curry each debuted a new colorway of the Nike LeBron 15 and Under Armour Curry 4, while Anthony paraded around OKC in a hoodie and his Jordan Melo M13s, the silhouette he wore last season. The remixed Big Baller Brand ZO2 Prime also made its first public appearance in LA. Lonzo Ball wore a black colorway of the brand new sneaker. And rounding out the list of unveilings, Klay Thompson wore the never-before-seen Anta KT3 in an all-white makeup.

Carmelo’s new teammates, Paul George and Russell Westbrook, were wearing the Nike PG1 and Air Jordan XXXII, in Thunder-themed colorways. Andre Roberson, another OKC mainstay, rocked the “French Blue” Air Jordan XII, joining Jeff Teague, Pat McCaw, Zach LaVine, Arron Afflalo and Johnathon Simmons, who wore retro Js too. Like Westbrook, Mike Conley, Victor Oladipo and Greg Monroe wore the Air Jordan XXXII. And Kawhi Leonard offered a glimpse at his personal logo on the XXXII.

Over in Cleveland, the Cavaliers showed love to LeBron. Tristan Thompson had a pair of Nike LeBron 8s. Isaiah Thomas, Kevin Love and Kay Felder wore the Nike Air Zoom Generation.

UA’s new sneaker, the Drive 4, was on full display with Terrance Ferguson, Will Barton and Emmanuel Mudiay donning the silhouette.

We’ve written about Tracy McGrady’s sneaker legacy a lot recently. Rightly so. Mac’s signature line was everywhere back in the early to mid 2000s. Between his stints in Orlando and Houston, No.1 effortlessly made his sneakers cool. The Three Stripes did everything to make sure his colorways were clean and the combination of their creative efforts established the T-Mac line as a classic.

Tracy’s getting inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow night. With his spot in the sneaker HoF already locked up, it’s only right that adidas is celebrating his next (real) HoF entrance with new colorways of the best T-Mac sneakers.

Adidas tabbed Jon Moody, an artist from New Orleans, to customize the T-Mac 1, T-Mac 2, T-Mac 3 and T-Mac 5. Moody, adidas says, “drew inspiration from Tracy’s freestyle approach to the game, exploring saturation and distinct color combinations through the lens of controlled chaos. Each model features custom artwork and memorable play-by-play commentary on the laces,paying tribute to iconic moments that created T-Mac’s Hall of Fame legacy.”

T-MAC 5 (2005) – Takes design cues from T-Mac’s ability to rule the stat sheet and his performance against the Dallas Mavericks, where he recorded 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Each shoe is uniquely designed to represent all sides to T-Mac’s game.

Since the debut edition of KICKS hit newsstands in 1997, NBA Stars have graced the hardwood in countless fire sneakers. To celebrate KICKS’ 20th anniversary, we’re counting down the 20 best we’ve seen over the past 20 years—and the moments that defined them. At No. 7 is the adidas T-Mac 1, the sneaker that started McGrady’s line with the Three Stripes. –Ed.

The Sneaker: The T-Mac 1 almost instantly became the hottest basketball sneaker on the block when it dropped back in 2002. With an ode to the classic adidas shell toe—only this time with a rubberized version wrapped from midfoot to toe—it was like nothing else on the hardwood. As was its namesake, who led the NBA in scoring twice despite always looking like he was just out there jogging. Tracy McGrady oozed cool, and so did his kicks, which came to be created in almost every team colorway, even getting an on-court co-sign from LeBron James during his high school days with adidas.

Foot Locker, with some help from adidas, is helping Harden celebrate with the video above, featuring the Harden LS, adidas EQT and the adidas alphabounce.

“I’ve definitely had a summer to remember,” Harden said, via press release. “I like to give my fans a look into my life off the court and we had fun with Foot Locker and adidas on this one to make this a little extra with the yacht.” Watch the video above.

Since the debut edition of KICKS hit newsstands in 1997, NBA Stars have graced the hardwood in countless fire sneakers. To celebrate KICKS’ 20th anniversary, we’re counting down the 20 best we’ve seen over the past 20 years—and the moments that defined them. At No. 14 is the adidas Harden Vol. 1, the silhouette that was built to match James Harden’s eclectic style. –Ed.

The Sneaker: James Harden was long overdue for a signature sneaker. Not to worry, The Beard’s patience has been a virtue. Finally trusted to be “the man” in Houston after years coming off the bench in OKC, he quickly proved himself to be one of the top players in the game. And finally entrusted with his own signature line, he’s done the same in the sneaker world. His first model’s mélange of full-length adidas Boost technology, Primeknit and tumbled leather shroud, plus an asymmetrical lacing system, made perfect sense for a player who prides himself on being different.

The Moment: Wilt Chamberlain’s numbers are next-level crazy. But James Harden, with 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds against the NY Knicks, tied The Stilt for the most points ever put up in a triple-double.

James Harden’s debut signature sneaker is one of the many silhouettes that has helped adidas make a major move in the sneaker game this year and it continues to receive new colorways even though we’re inching closer to his second sneaker’s release.

The “Yacht Club” joints stray from that unique style. The triple-white sneaker features Harden’s logo inside the wheel of a boat on its outsole. Other than that, it remains simple and clean.

The Beard was wearing these when he one-upped the internet with his #DriveByDunkChallenge. Rather than using a car to dunk on some unassuming hoopers, Harden used a speedboat, sauntering up to the court while mostly everyone else bolted as quickly as they could.

The only constant in sneakers is change. This may not only seem contradictory, but straight-up untrue, especially looking back at the so-called golden era of the ’90s, dominated as it was by Jordan and Nike. For those who came of age then, it must have seemed as if it would last forever. It wouldn’t. It hasn’t. One only needs to step outside, or into any school. Yes, Jordans are still everywhere. But now, in 2017, adidas has popped off, too. How did it happen?

The roots for the takeover were laid in 2013, when adidas did two things. First, in February, they introduced the Energy Boost, a state-of-the-art running shoe featuring an all-new foam—Boost—that looked and felt like nothing else. Then, later in the year, they put a plan in motion to sign a deal with former Nike endorser Kanye West.

A notorious perfectionist, West has never been the easiest person to work with. His time with Nike only produced two silhouettes, both produced in extremely limited numbers, both of which caused utter frenzies upon their release and re-sold for many times their retail price. But West wanted more. He wanted proper royalties on his designs, and he wanted his creations to reach a much wider market. With adidas, he would get both.

West’s first release, the Yeezy 750, seemed like a continuation of his Nike line—a bulky hightop with a midfoot strap. His second, the Yeezy 350, was something new. A minimalist Primeknit upper with a Boost sole, the 350 was a cozyboy runner with a Kanye co-sign. Outwardly it wasn’t all that different from many other running-inspired silhouettes. Nothing, save the rippled sole unit taken from the 750, screamed “Yeezy.” But the demand was the same.

Still, even with increased production, West alone wasn’t the difference maker. It was Primeknit, along with Boost, that really gave adidas the advantage. And as basketball shoes continued to fade as the go-to casual style, adidas’ Boost runners—or runner-ish—models filled the void.

The first Energy Boost shoe was a huge hit with runners, as the sole unit made an energy return promise that it kept. But the stretchy Techfit upper wasn’t exactly fashion forward. The Pure Boost, which featured an all-Boost midsole, came closer, although its minimalist upper was made from similar materials. What really broke through was the Ultra Boost, the Boost-iest shoe yet, with a Primeknit upper that was—and is—comfortable enough to run in yet perfect for non-runners, too.

And once adidas found the right formula, they expanded on it, from cageless Ultra Boost to Primeknit Pure Boost to the Boost-free Alphabounce. Rather than use their knit uppers to refresh retros, as Nike did with their own Flyknit, adidas chose to focus on entirely new silhouettes. And in a sneaker world seemingly growing less connected to classic designs and more focused on simple wearability, Boost spread.

When adidas did reach into their past, they brought elements of it forward in a new way. In December 2015, the NMD, an all-new, go-everywhere shoe inspired by three classic running silhouettes, complete with a Boost sole and a Primeknit upper, arrived. It was an immediate hit—and still is—even before high-profile collaborations with Pharrell Williams.

For regular readers of this publication—we’ve been doing it for a while now—sneakers have been mainstream for years. For others, not so much. Whether coming from the high fashion world or elsewhere, adidas has what new sneakerheads need, whether it’s the Kanye co-sign, the simplicity of a Stan Smith or high-fashion collabs from the likes of Raf Simons, Yohji Yamamoto or Rick Owens.

There was some good luck disguised as bad at work here as well. It’s not that adidas abandoned the signature hoops market, but while Nike inked guys like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, adidas signed Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose. Only later did they add James Harden, who, like former teammate Russell Westbrook, maintains a keen interest in the fashion world. And they may not have been able to sign Harden without ’Ye, whose presence spoke to adidas’ willingness to try new things.

West’s influence in general has been widely debated, with certain unnamed industry analysts scoffing at his ability to direct consumer dollars. And it’s true that, despite production numbers being way up from his Nike days, his Yeezy line is still only a blip on the radar, a high-dollar luxury item consumed primarily by would-be influencers and those seeking to make immediate profits on the secondary market. Strictly viewed by sales of his own products, West’s influence is indeed negligible. But “influence” can’t be measured by such a strict measure. How many would-be Yeezy consumers, thwarted by the Confirmed app or their local sneaker shop, settled instead for Ultra Boosts or NMDs?

It goes even deeper than that. A sneaker market that used to be overwhelmingly based on the Jordan model—whether it be by sales of Jordan’s own shoes or just on basketball signature models in general—isn’t anymore. The way to sneaker dominance isn’t as simple as finding the next All-Star and creating a sneaker line and a series of clever ads. The NBA learned the hard way that there will be no “next Jordan.” Sneaker companies are learning that, too. The running shoe revival came at just the right time for adidas to take advantage. And the Stan Smith, long a “sale” staple, became a must-have for damn near everyone.

In the meantime, we also know this: What has changed will undoubtedly change again. Perhaps one day basketball shoes will once again capture the hearts and feet of the sneaker obsessed. Or maybe the retro cycle will slow, then pick up again as a new generation falls for classics they’ve never seen. In the meantime, though, adidas is making its presence known. Just look down.

Since the debut edition of KICKS hit newsstands in 1997, NBA Stars have graced the hardwood in countless fire sneakers. To celebrate KICKS’ 20th anniversary, we’re counting down the 20 best we’ve seen over the past 20 years—and the moments that defined them. At No. 18 is adidas The Kobe, the silhouette that Bryant wore to win the 2000 and 2001 Championships. –Ed.

The Sneaker: By the time he was 21, Kobe Bryant was already a two-time All-Star and one of the most popular young cats in the League. And while adidas had designed a couple models with KB in mind early on in his career, it wasn’t until the original KOBE that things really popped off. The Lakers beat the Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals, giving Kobe his first of five rings and putting The KOBE on a pedestal. Modeled after the sleek Audi TT Roadster, The KOBE (now known as the Crazy 1) was both exceedingly simple and patently polarizing.

The Moment: Kobe Bryant averaged 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in the 16 games it took to get his second consecutive ‘chip.

Since the debut edition of KICKS hit newsstands in 1997, NBA Stars have graced the hardwood in countless fire sneakers. To celebrate KICKS’ 20th anniversary, we’re counting down the 20 best we’ve seen over the past 20 years—and the moments that defined them. First up at No. 20 is adidas’ adiZero Crazylight, made famous by Derrick Rose during his 2011 MVP season. –Ed.

The Sneaker: 9.8 ounces. adidas packed an entire basketball sneaker into 9.8 ounces. They used SprintWeb—an innovative synthetic material on the Crazy Light’s upper—to cut weight down. The SprintWeb, replacing traditional materials like suede and leather, teamed up with hits of mesh to maintain strength, breathability and durability. Everything else on the sneaker was done to shed weight, too. Padding on the ankle collar wasn’t overdone and the frame of the sneaker was reduced. It all added up to the lightest basketball sneaker to be released in 2011, and other brands soon followed the trend to make their sneakers as lean as possible.

The Moment: Derrick Rose, the fastest player in the game, debuted the featherweight Crazy Lights in the 2011 playoffs and was named MVP soon after. Fast don’t lie.

The 2017 NBA Rookie Shoot went down last week in Tarrytown, New York at the Knicks’ practice facility. Most of the League’s newest players were bused in for a day of interviews, photographs and the chance to officially suit up for the first time.

The big day gives Nike, adidas and Under Armour time to shine. So the brands made sure that the young pups were super laced.

Markelle Fultz, the number one pick in June’s draft, was wearing the Hyperdunk 17 Flyknit, the Swoosh’s latest offering. Lonzo Ball was of course wearing his signature sneaker, the Big Baller Brand ZO2.

The biggest unveiling came from Josh Jackson and Dennis Smith Jr, Under Armour’s big signings. They each wore player exclusive versions of the UA Drive 4 Low. The 4 will be UA’s flagship silhouette next season, with Jackson and Smith Jr headlining it.

Swipe through the gallery above to see more of the heat from last week and forever shout out De’Aaron Fox for keeping a phone in each of his socks. Legend.

The ZNE Pulse hoodie was created by collecting data from athletes, specifically the moment when players leave the locker room and head to the field or court, which produces a spike in heart rate. The Pulse hoodie is crafted “with unique heartbeat knit in breathable merino wool.”

The Three Stripes worked to make a line of clothing that can seamlessly transition from the practice field to the street.

“Knitting techniques open a huge innovation area for how to create and construct sportswear at the highest level of comfort,” said Christina Schramm, Senior Design Director, via press release. “The use of functional and innovative yarns, the integration of open and dense structures and the construction of the garments without any seams provide huge functional advantages. This is combined with huge possibilities in terms of the combination of yarn colors, patterns, structures, surfaces and silhouettes – meaning athletes can look and perform great.”

The Prime Parley is constructed as a running silhouette but it can be taken off the track, too. Its Primeknit upper, 95% of which is built out of Parley Ocean Plastic, sits on top of adidas’ famous BOOST outsole. The model also makes use of other top-of-the-line technology that moves in concert with the wearer’s foot.

A bar that runs from the heel to the toe is supported by the TORSION SYSTEM. In the heel, MICROFIT locks down the foot and the STRETCHWEB outsole combines with the BOOST to provide instant energy return to keep you as fast as possible.

“Japanese wording and origami-inspired patterning on the side and upper nods to the heritage and craftmanship of the silhouette,” adidas says in a press release.

IAAF World Championship athletes will be wearing the Prime Parley throughout the 10-day competition.

“This is an exciting time in the history of adizero,” Matthias Amm, Category Director, adidas Running says in a press release. “Not only are we proud to see the family evolved with Parley material, but we are continuing to break the boundaries of craftmanship in our drive to advance our heritage of marathon successes and achieve world-record setting speeds. Almost 10 years after Hailie Gebrselassie broke the world record at the Berlin marathon, we return this September to see our best athletes attempt to break the world record in our brand new adizero models.”

Like it usually does in Las Vegas during the summer months, the temperature hit triple-digits last week. The sun was unforgiving and even the smallest breeze was nonexistent. There was no relief at night, either, as the heat still hovered in the high 90s.

Even with the ridiculous weather, kids flocked to the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, where adidas had taken over. They built out an expansive space to show off the all-new Crazy Explosive and to host a celebration of basketball.

Before experiencing the fandom, Andrew Wiggins said, “This type of event is great for kids, great for adidas, great for everybody. When I was doing AAU and we came to Vegas, we didn’t really get a chance to do this stuff.”

The “stuff” included a dunk cam that created GIFs of jams on an eight-foot hoop, drill work with pro-level trainers, a designated room to play NBA 2K17, a spot to design your own shirt, a first look at the Crazy Explosive 17 and of course, the chance to kick it with a group of the game’s biggest stars.

“I’ve been on the other side and to get the type of respect and love from those young athletes is one of those feelings that can’t be replaced, because you know they respect you for what you’ve worked so hard to get to and what you’ve accomplished,” Damian Lillard said. “It’s cool to get out there and socialize and talk to them.”

Lillard and Chiney Ogwumike, the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year, sat up on stage and handed out duffle bags full of gear to a swarm of kids. Jaylen Brown and Jamal Murray locked up against those brave enough to challenge them.

Brandon Ingram slowly walked through the main entrance, followed by a few Three Stripes executives, a couple of friends and a security guard. They all stepped aside when a group of young hoopers noticed the 6-9 Lakers forward and surrounded him. Ingram, still a kid himself, smiled from ear to ear.

“It’s super dope to be a part of this,” Brown said. “Stuff like this is pretty cool to you in high school when someone is doing something you want to do, so people got a lot of questions. People think they are better than you, I’m ready for it all. They want to talk to me, play me, people want to bounce things off me, I’m here.”

Like Brown, Lillard understands how much the game means to everyone.

“I’m 27 and some of these kids are 14, 15, 16,” he said. “You might have somebody’s dad out there who played back in the day and now they’re coaching and they’re 55. It’s one thing that can bring people together, it’s one thing that everybody has in common. You come here and you know everybody is gonna love hoop, and they got some type of story from hoop. They know this person for that reason, they know that person for another reason, and it’s all based around that ball. I think that’s what makes it all cool and all worth it.”

The latest Crazy Explosive silhouette introduces a sock collar into the Crazy Explosive series and combines the Three Stripes’ latest technology–Forged Primeknit–with its most popular technology–BOOST.

“It’s a shoe that kind of fits to your foot, not a shoe you have to fit into,” Brown said. “I want the shoe to move with me and I think these are a great example and adidas is getting better and better at it.”

“I love everything about it, the way it looks, the comfort level, how it feels on the court, the traction, the BOOST,” Wiggins said.

Last season, the Wolves forward took off while wearing a mostly green pair of Crazy Explosives. When he laced them up, he averaged 29 points per game in the colorway, according to Nice Kicks.

“They kind of threw it at me, I didn’t put too much effort into designing it,” he said. “I was just interested in it. It just worked out for the best because, while I was wearing those shoes, I was scoring a lot and we were winning. They were like my good luck charm,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s going to be exciting keep your eye out on the court for when [Kristaps] Porzingis and Wiggins and Justise Winslow, Eric Gordon, Ingram, Murray are going to wear it,” he said.

Zerzan bridged the gap between the design team and the Futures Department.

“When [the Futures Department] came to us with the Forged Primeknit, we thought no better shoe to use it on than Crazy Explosive,” Zerzan said. “It allows us to take the Primeknit to a whole ‘nother level in 2017. We knew the 2016 was a performance beast, but the Forged Primeknit allowed us to make the shoe lighter, stronger and more tapered and sleek to the athlete’s foot.”

With a single-piece upper, the Forged Primeknit replaces the traditional sneaker construction that required different parts.

“So we go back 18 months, sitting in a meeting with kids and hoopers and teens and seeing what they wanted in a shoe, what they liked in the Crazy Explosive, but what they wish they would have had better or different,” Zerzan remembers. “We were tapping into this lifestyle-play. This sleek style play. Adidas is, as you know, more than just a performance brand, it’s a style brand, it’s a culture.”

“I think it’s dope what Adidas is doing here with the LVL3 event,” Brown said. “It’s basketball, but it’s using basketball as a platform for other areas. You got other stuff going on. You got musicians involved, technology involved. Basketball, it’s crazy how influential the sport of basketball is. It’s great for [the] culture.”

Nineteen-year-old Brandon Ingram came into the League with a strong reputation. The former Duke Blue Devil was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 Draft and earned himself a spot on the Team USA select team.

With those accolades already on his résumé, adidas signed him before the season started and proceeded to hook him up with multiple player exclusive colorways of the adidas Crazylight 2016 and the adidas Crazy Explosive.

“Something we set up earlier in the year was colorways—what colorways we wanted to go to and what we could do that’ll match the colors on the [Lakers] jerseys,” Ingram remembers. “They gave me ideas, they picked my brain, I picked theirs and we just got some good ideas out of it.”

“I liked the yellow and black pair [of the Crazy Explosive],” he adds. “They got those stripes in it and, of course, my initials.”

Ingram’s initials and his No. 14 were on all of his kicks, a rarity for rookies.

“I wasn’t aware of that, actually,” Ingram says about being part of the PE club. “That’s cool. It definitely gives a little motivation to my hometown—to give them motivation to try to be a basketball player some day. Maybe not even a basketball player—just being something.”

The Kinston, NC, native averaged 9.4 points in his rookie season. His sneaker future, like his on-court future, is bright. He likes Yeezys and the Pharrell NMDs and promises to have more heat for us to see next season. He says he’s picking from a collection of off-court kicks that runs almost 600 pairs deep.

Nike and adidas made sure to show out at yesterday’s WNBA All-Star Game. Across the board, both brands made statements with exclusive PEs.

Legends like Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore all played in orange-themed kicks. Bird was laced in the Kyrie 3, her go-to sneaker, while Taurasi and Moore, the game’s MVP, each played in the LeBron 14 and the Air Jordan XXXI. Parker was given a new Crazy Explosive 17 colorway, which had “2017 All-Star” on the back collar.

Their West squad came away with the 130-121 win, edging out a young East team that featured the debut of new Nike ‘ways. Elizabeth Williams rocked a never-before-seen Hyperdunk 2017 edition with a reflective silver Swoosh. Tina Charles, Allie Quigley and Layshia Clarendon played in the same colorway as Williams, but they were wearing the Kyrie 3. Sugar Rodgers stood out with a new Soldier 11 joint.

Other notable sneaker sightings came from two of the West’s point guards. Skylar Diggins-Smith and Chelsea Gray repped the Three Stripes, in the Crazy Explosive Low and the Harden Vol. 1, respectively. Jasmine Thomas, Stefanie Dolson and Candice Dupree each took the floor in the Kobe AD.

Candace Parker, four-time WNBA All-Star, is hitting the court at today’s ASG in some exclusive heat. Adidas gifted the 2013 All-Star Game MVP with a special pair of Crazy Explosive 17s. The new Crazy Explosives are made of up Forged Primeknit, a single piece upper that’s designed to help minimize impact in specific areas.

Parker’s new colorway features a red upper that transitions down into a gold midsole, sitting on top of a red outsole. On the medial side, the Three Stripes put their signature BOOST technology and they also wrote “2017 All-Star Game” on the heel collar.

Parker was named MVP at the 2013 ASG and will be joined by her LA Sparks teammate Nneka Ogwumike today in Seattle, another adidas athlete. Parker and Ogwumike combined to lead the Sparks to the 2016 WNBA title and currently have the second best record in the League at 14-6.

Parker’s putting in 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks per game this season. She’s been doing damage in a few other Crazy Explosive PEs. She wore orange kicks for the month of June to honor her late college coach, Pat Summit.

“I’ll be wearing orange kicks all June; it was my coach’s birthday and the month she passed away,” Parker said last month to the LA Daily News.

The Magic and the Cavaliers were both struggling in the beginning of the 2003-04 season. Going into their Christmas Day matchup, the Magic were 7-22 and the Cavs were 9-19. But they each had a bona fide superstar on their roster.

Tracy McGrady was at the peak of his powers, registering 28 points a game that season. He combined his height, quickness and a lethal set of offensive skills to devastate anyone that tried to stop him.

On the other side was LeBron James, the top pick in that summer’s draft. He was only 18 but he’d go on to average 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists when all was said and done with his rookie campaign.

They were dominant athletes, armed with other-worldly talent and absolutely fire sneakers.

The adidas T-Mac 3, in a clean white and blue, Magic-themed colorway, was McGrady’s weapon of choice for that Christmas Day game. Its leather upper was accented by striking silver stripes on the sneaker’s lateral side.

James wore his first signature silhouette, the Nike Air Zoom Generation in a brand new “Christmas” colorway. That special AZG received a decorated, graphic upper.

With the latest models from the Three Stripes and the Swoosh on-feet, McGrady and James battled it out in a close game that eventually went to overtime. Mac shined brightest, pouring in 41 points on 15-29 shooting to go along with 11 dimes and 8 boards. James tried to keep pace with 34 points and 6 assists, but the Magic earned the 113-101 overtime win.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the sneakers in action and peep the video below to watch the footage.

The “Static” Dame 3 is inspired by No. 0’s ability to block out the haters and critics and his will to never doubt himself. The black and white sneaker makes use of adidas’ BOUNCE midsole and an innovative and customizable lacing system.

The latest Harden Vol. 1 colorway features a dynamic red color scheme as a nod to the Houston Rockets. A red mesh upper is complemented by a red suede toe shroud, red outsole and finished with the 3-stripes in white.

Inspired by the Arizona desert where a young James Harden shaped his basketball career at Arizona State University, Harden Vol. 1 Cactus Kid features a teal shaded toe cap, black mesh upper, solar orange stripes, gold accents and custom cactus graphics in the sockliner.

These are the two words Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray uses to describe his teammate Kenneth Faried to a group of people standing around the baseline as they watch two teams scrimmage. The term “OD,” an acronym for over-doing, is probably not the first time someone has used it when talking about Faried.

It’s a Wednesday morning at Sports Academy, a performance facility in Thousand Oaks, CA, and adidas is hosting its annual Nations Training Camp. The camp, which will be held for two days, is a temporary home for some of the best high school players in the nation.

Players are broken up by position and participate in skills development sessions for two hours all throughout five regulation-sized basketball courts. Some of the guards in attendance are working on various dribbling combos with Drew Hanlen, founder and CEO of Pure Sweat, a skills development company that works with an array of NBA clients from Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Bradley Beal.

“My goal is to show them that there’s still a lot of room for growth,” says Hanlen on his objective when he works with grassroots athletes. “If they want to play at the highest level in the NBA, there’s a lot of little nuances they’re going to have to pay more attention to.”

Faried and Murray are two of the Three Stripes’ athletes who are getting work in with the young bucks. In the middle court, Faried decides to step on for a half-court scrimmage. As the ball makes its way around the perimeter, the defense is scrambling and Faried sees an opening as he drives to the cup from the top of the key. Once he puts the ball on the floor, everyone in the gym knows he’s going straight to the basket.

As he rises up, some players in the paint attempt to stop this freight train coming at them with no mercy, but it’s too late. Faried is trying to put anyone in the vicinity of the rim on a poster. But he gets fouled and misses the dunk. There’s a sigh of relief from the defense as they realize none of them got baptized. Onlookers on the baseline look around with that Did you just see this shit? look.

The next time Faried’s team is on offense, the play starts with a high ball screen. The Manimal, a nickname Faried earned because of his intensity on the court, sprints from the paint to set the screen. No one on defense calls out the pick, and Jules Bernard, a 6-5 small forward from Windward (CA) HS, is a victim of a vicious screen that leaves him grabbing his side as he tries to get back into the play.

“It’s good to experience because in high school, I’m normally the more stronger player in the nation as a guard, so knowing that that’s what an NBA screen feels like it tells me I need to get stronger,” says Bernard. “Right now, I still have room to grow—strength-wise—and it shows me more I have to grow to be an NBA-caliber player.”

Summertime is an important period for players looking to take their game to the next level. Highly touted athletes trade in personal time with friends and family vacations for two-a-days and AAU tournaments in different cities every weekend. And events like adidas Nations—with NBA athletes, coaches and trainers on-hand—serves as an assessment for what aspects of their game need improvement.

For Moses Brown, a 7-1 center from Archbishop Molloy (NY) HS, who’s ranked No. 6 on ESPN’s Top 100 in 2018, these two days are vital as he looks to be regarded as an all-around player at a time where the traditional center is a thing of the past.

“You get to see the physicality that’s at the highest level when you’re playing against those guys,” says Brown, “You can tell the difference between your skill-set and theirs and how much stronger they are.”

Bernard also makes sure to soak up as much knowledge as he prepares for his senior year.

“The little details they use—footwork, stuff like that, that make them great players,” he says.

For now, these kids are still students of the game, but Faried knows he’ll be suiting up with and/or against some of these same faces in a couple of years.

“These are going to be the kids that are going to replace me in the League and hopefully be All-Stars or superstars and everything else in the League,” says Faried. “So I just get a glimpse at our future and some of these kids are going to be my future teammates.”

Adidas brought some of the best high school players in the country to Los Angeles, where they got to link up with Nick Young, Jamal Murray, Kenneth Faried and Shabazz Muhammad at adidas Nations. They all hooped with and against each other. And afterwards they circled up. Scroll through the gallery above to see the photos.

To help unveil the adidas Crazy Explosive ’17, the Three Stripes hosted a party at the Orange Lutheran High School in Orange County. Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball were there. Melo and his squad narrowly lost out to the Compton Magic in a double-OT game in front of Zo and Gelo. Nick Young, Nneka Ogwumike and Ivica Zubac were also on-hand.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young was one of the many adidas athletes in attendance Wednesday afternoon at the “Here to Create” Jamboree at Orange Lutheran HS. Earlier in the day, adidas unveiled the Crazy Explosive ’17, a second iteration of the Crazy Explosive, with Forged Primeknit, a booty-like feature for on-court stability.

A showcase was put on for some of the top AAU and HS programs in Southern California leading up to the highly anticipated rematch between Compton Magic and Big Ballers after the Magic defeating LaMelo Ball’s squad by 52 points in their first meeting. The Magic, an adidas-sponsored team, debuted the Crazy Explosive ’17 before they hit stores July 27, en route to defeating the Big Ballers 63-59 in double-overtime.

We caught up with Young before tip-off to talk the Crazy Explosive ’17, AAU, LaMelo Ball and his sneakers.

SLAM: Since joining adidas, you’ve been given your own logo and have been featured on different campaigns. What does that mean for someone like you who’s known for having a unique style?

Nick Young: It means a lot, especially for me being into shoes, fashion and all that. Just getting noticed for things I do is big.

SLAM: Adidas unveiled the Crazy Explosive ’17 earlier today. Have you hooped in those yet?

NY: Not yet. I just got them today, but they feel comfortable. I told them I need some in every color for the Drew League coming up. I need to test them out, but adidas has been looking out. It’s a family here. They’ve been doing a lot more [for me] than I’ve been getting noticed in the past from other brands. [laughs]

SLAM: Speaking of hooping shoes, what are some of your go-to’s on-court?

NY: I like to go back in the day to the Crazy 8s. I like the Swaggy’s—the [Crazy Explosive with] Boost. Get those, they in stores. They come in all white and there’s some Lakers-colored ones. And they got some All-Star editions that didn’t come out and PEs.

SLAM: And off-court?

NY: I like the Alexander Wang adidas they came out with. Those are fire. The NMDs, of course, and I’m waiting to see what Pharell drops with his new ones.

SLAM: What’s something you look out for whenever you do these grassroots-related events?

NY: Just giving back and seeing the reaction from the kids, talk to the youth and see what’s going on. I ain’t been to a high school game in a while, and just to be out here and be in this environment is fun. It’s always good to give back.

SLAM: AAU has obviously changed drastically since you played. What’s the biggest thing about it today?

NY: If you got a name in AAU, you for sure going to the League now. So I tell them just to stay in the gym because this is where it’s at. They start early just preparing them. I think it’s good for the culture.

SLAM: LaMelo Ball is one those of well-known AAU kids who’s playing tonight. What are your thoughts on his game?

NY: I think it’s nice. I haven’t seen him play live, but I’ve seen videos on Instagram and seeing him do the pull from deep. I think he’s going to be alright. I might stay to watch that.

SLAM: There was a game of his that was recently criticized on social media solely because of his shot selection. How crazy is it to have adults on the Internet criticizing a 15-year-old?

NY: It’s crazy, but I think they’re doing the right thing. Like I said, before the Draft, Ball was the only name I knew, so obviously they’re doing something right. I’ve been talking to my friends about it and they’re going to be alright. They’re known. Daddy got them doing the right thing. He’s got them out there.

SLAM: For someone who’s no stranger to criticism, what advice would you pass to LaMelo as he goes through his basketball journey?

NY: Just stay focused and continue to do you because anyway it goes, they’re going to have something to say even if you try to fit in and do what they want you to do. At the end of the day, just be yourself, stay on the court and stay hooping.

SLAM: LaVar has said some pretty wild things, too. Any take on that?

NY: He do say a lot of wild stuff, but that’s a dad. I would probably say some crazy stuff too if my son was entering the Draft and was one of the top players coming out. He’s just being a dad. He’s going to say he’s better than Jordan. I’m not going to tell my kid Jordan’s better than me any day, so you just gotta take it for what it is. His dad is out there, but he’s a dad at the end of the day.

SLAM: You’re a parent yourself and your son has started playing sports. What kind of sports dad are you?

NY: I get into it a little bit some days. When he isn’t focused, I get a little upset but I try to let him find his way on the court and I don’t tell him anything. I want him to find that love for the game before I force him into it. I want him to love being a kid first before I get him out there training him all day.

Candace Parker continues to honor her legendary college coach, Pat Summitt. Coach would’ve turned 65 on Wednesday, but she passed away on June 28, 2016 after battling Alzheimer’s. She led the Tennessee Lady Vols to 16 SEC Championships and eight NCAA Championships. Parker was part of one of those National Title teams, leading her to have a very close relationship with Coach Summitt.

Parker laced up the brand new adidas Crazy Explosive ’17 the other day, in an orange colorway that resembled the Lady Vols’ uniforms.

“I’ll be wearing orange kicks all June; it was my coach’s birthday and the month she passed away,” Parker told the LA Daily News.

The latest model is lifted on full-length BOOST and wrapped with a lateral TPU roll cage, harnessing its added energy return for heightened control when taking off to the basket. Power traction delivers commanding grip designed for light footwork and explosive gameplay.

Designed to posterize on the court, Crazy Explosive 17’s Forged Primeknit execution creates an elevated wave pattern across the upper for a bold aesthetic that maintains lightweight durability. The brand’s three stripes are displayed on the ankle, while ‘ADIDAS BASKETBALL’ is stamped on the heel taping.

Andrew Wiggins, Kristaps Porzingis, Eric Gordon, Justise Winslow and other adidas athletes will be in the new Crazy Explosives next season.

Both the Crystal White and the Solar Yellow colorways drop on July 27 for $150.

Adidas was looking to break ground with the T-Mac 4. By 2004, Tracy McGrady had evolved into an unstoppable offensive force and his first three signature sneakers had done great. They all passed the eye test and McGrady’s supreme level of play meant that they definitely performed well.

For the 4, adidas completely removed the laces and introduced the HUG system. Located in the heel, the new technology was built to provide customizable lockdown and support. Whoever was wearing the 4 had the power to make the sneaker as loose or as tight as they wanted. To adjust the fit, the wearer just had to flip the heel lever and turn the dial. There were also straps on the collar to ensure that your foot wasn’t going anywhere.

McGrady, traded from the Magic to the Rockets before the 2004-05 season started, spent his first season in Houston wearing the 4. He was coming off two consecutive seasons of leading the League in points per game with his pick-your-poison style of play. He could score off the bounce, slashing to the rim, from distance and by dunking on your head.

On an early December night in ’04, with his Rockets facing a 10-point deficit in the final minute of play against the Spurs, McGrady, in a pair of white and black 4s, went bonkers. He authored perhaps the greatest comeback in League history. He went off for 13 points in 33 seconds, drilling the game-winner with two defenders surrounding him.

It was a movie, a moment that nobody has ever been able to replicate. In a legendary, Hall of Fame (!) career, McGrady’s greatest moment came in the T-Mac 4.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/photos/sneaker-moments-tracy-mcgrady-13-points-in-33-seconds/feed/02004 NBAENext in Line: The Three Players Most Likely to Get a Signature Sneakerhttp://www.slamonline.com/kicks/devin-booker-three-players-likely-get-signature-sneaker/
http://www.slamonline.com/kicks/devin-booker-three-players-likely-get-signature-sneaker/#respondWed, 24 May 2017 16:28:02 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=442434

It takes a lot to get a signature sneaker. First of all, you’ve gotta be able to really hoop. Your game has to be able to inspire others to pick up a ball and lace up a pair. You’ve gotta have a style that can transcend the basketball court and have people talking about you across the nation. Then you need to have a voice. You need to have a platform for people to listen to you. You have to know what you’re talking about, whether it’s your story or the technology in your sneaker.

Take all of those factors, roll them into one and you have a chance at being a successful signature sneaker athlete. With those in mind, these three guys have the best shot of getting their own silhouette.

Devin Booker, Nike

Forget the fact that Devin Booker scored 70 points in a single game–OK, maybe don’t forget that because, damn. But even if that didn’t happen, Booker’s game has firmly put him in the upper echelon of the League. At just 20 years old, Booker’s jumpshot is pure as snow and he can drain it off the dribble or off the catch. He’s already developed into a capable pick-and-roll ballhandler, he has bounce, he’s automatic from the foul line and he can finish through contact. He’s nearly a complete offensive player and his scoring average jumped from 13.8 in his rookie campaign to 22.1 in his sophomore season. That’s buckets.

He wore Kobes for his first year in the League (and already has the Mamba stamp of approval), but switched between Nike Zoom Rev and Nike Hyperdunk PEs in ’16-’17. The Swoosh doesn’t just hand out PEs, either. Only a select few players have their names or logos etched onto their Nikes.

Booker has the built-in advantage of being a former Wildcat. Kentucky’s a Nike school and between his BBN fans and the fans that know him as a lethal shooting guard, Booker’s voice has reach. What kid doesn’t want to have Booker’s smooth jumpshot and his competitive fire? The young gunner’s shown a preference towards low-cut silhouettes, which can easily be worn either on the street or the court. That’s the kind of translation a signature sneaker needs. As Booker continues to get better, he’ll likely be hooping in the D. Book 1 someday soon.

Brandon Ingram, adidas

A rookie with PEs? That’s rare. Throw in being a franchise cornerstone for the Los Angeles Lakers, and now you’re cooking with gas.

When Brandon Ingram laced up his adidas Crazylights and later his Crazy Explosive Lows in front of the star-studded crowds at Staples Center, his initials and number were stitched into the tongues of each colorway. The black and purple joints, the yellow and purple version, the white and yellow ‘way all featured ‘B.I.’ and ’14.’ He’s got a head-start on most of the sneaker world. In rare cases (see above), second year players will get their own logos, but for the majority of the League, it takes years to have your name on a sneaker.

Adidas, with their eyes on furthering their athletes and making sneakers that perform and break necks, has put Ingram front and center. He was routinely spotted in rare pairs, rocking the Pharrell NMDs and Yeezys. And when he was wearing his on-court silhouettes, he was playing well.

After the All-Star break Ingram increased his scoring average to 13.2 points. He showed flashes of the potential that he could one day bring to a title contender, with his ability to set up his teammates and run the offense.

His game can get noisy, but Ingram’s a quiet, loyal kid. He always shows love to his people back home in Kinston, NC and spreads a positive message, wanting to help others achieve their dreams. That’s similar to the love that Damian Lillard, another Three Stripes athlete, looks to share wherever he goes.

The young Laker checks off a lot of bases. He has fans on both coasts, a versatile game, the full support of adidas and the spotlight of Los Angeles. Only a matter of time before those Ingrams come out.

Though the Brand has a handful of guys who are the ambassadors of specific silhouettes, only Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul have JB signature sneakers. Butler, an ambassador of the Air Jordan XXXI, played this past season in a variety of Bulls-themed colors, ranging from mostly white, to mostly red, to mostly black. He would break out eye-catching new colorways every few games.

While in the XXXI, he locked up his third straight All-Star appearance, putting up a career-best 23 points per game, punishing the League with his bullish bucket-getting.

In the middle of a five-year, $95 million deal, Butler’s become the face of a storied franchise. The Bulls have a unique blend of tradition and mystique–they had the most successful team of the ’90s, but haven’t been able to get to the mountaintop since. For better or worse, they’re always in the news. And as their best player, Butler’s name is always there, too.

But the Tomball, TX native hasn’t run away from the ghost of MJ. Instead, he’s proudly worn his sneakers and played with the same desire that His Airness used to. His attitude, his recognizable hair, his aerial game could provide Jordan Brand with some much needed life. CP3 and Melo’s sneakers never make it to the street with a pair of jeans. They’re great for basketball, but haven’t been great for style. Jimmy Buckets could change that.

If you ask Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike what’s important to them, basketball isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. One would expect that for the Ogwumike pair, who have been hooping for the majority of their lives, the game would sit at the top of their lists. But basketball only plays a small percentage of their lives, despite the fact that they are two of the WNBA’s rising stars.

It’s family that is most important to the Ogwumike’s. Their father, Peter Ogwumike, emigrated from Nigeria to the United States in the 1980s where met his wife, Ify, at a community college in Colorado before relocating to Houston. That’s where Chiney and Nneka established themselves as one the best sibling duos to come out of the state.

Although there’s a 628-day gap in age, Chiney, 24, jokes that she and Nneka, 26, are like identical twins and have to do almost everything together. The decisions they’ve made during their hoop journey support that, too.

Nneka earned a scholarship to play at Stanford. Two years later, Chiney followed in the same footsteps and joined her big sister in Palo Alto. The tandem left behind an extensive list of accolades at The Farm, making a combined six Final Four’s in seven years.

In 2012, Nneka was drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. Chiney, a sophomore at the time, would dominate the PAC-12 for two more years before being selected No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2014. The Ogwumike’s joined Peyton and Eli Manning as the only siblings to be taken first overall in any professional draft.

Four years later, with the Sparks fresh off a championship and the team’s MVP looking to have another huge year, the elder Ogwumike recently made another important decision: joining adidas as one of the brand’s four newest signees. The decision came down to one important factor for her.

“Family orientation,” says Nneka, about what separated adidas from its competitors. “I like the culture of family and also how much they express displaying and advocating individuality for the athletes. They always say the athlete first. That’s definitely what drew me to adidas.”

And guess who was another of those four athletes that followed in her older sister’s footsteps?

“I think that we both know that we came into this game together and we are a package deal,” says Chiney, jokingly. “When looking for something that speaks to us as a brand, adidas was perfect and we knew that we wanted to do that together.”

Last week, the Ogwumike sisters took to Instagram announced their partnership by posing with a pair of Yeezys in-hand while sitting around an array of adidas silhouettes. They join Nneka’s teammate Chelsea Gray and Minnesota Lynx rookie Alexis Jones as the new additions to the Three Stripes family that already includes Candace Parker, Moriah Jefferson, Imani Boyette and Morgan Tucker.

“I’m really happy to be a part of the ‘Here to Create’ campaign because when it comes to athletics, you really create for yourself and you help cultivate a well-oiled machine when you’re creating as a team,” says Nneka. “That’s really what they embody and that’s what we’re all about.”

The Sparks began their season Saturday at home, with Nneka wearing the Crazy Explosive. Adidas provided player exclusives for Ogwumike and Parker for the opener. Nneka’s rocked a black-gold pair that featured “2016 WNBA Champs” on the tongue, while Parker balled in a white-gold look with “Ace 3″ on the tongue. Parker’s PE also included hidden accents all over the shoe, like the insole that said “For Pat,” a tribute to the legendary Pat Summitt, who passed away last June at the age of 64. Parker famously dedicated her Game 5 Finals performance to her former college coach.

Nneka learned about the shoe way before putting it on her feet because that was Parker’s go-to shoe last season.

“I know quite a bit about the shoe because Candace wears that shoe when she plays,” says Nneka. “She always said that she loved how it feels, what it allowed her to do on the court and that’s what I’m all about for a shoe.”

It’s a cloudy Wednesday afternoon and both Nneka and Chiney are handling last-minute brand obligations inside the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown Los Angeles. The two are moving swiftly throughout the 12-story facility—the lobby, to a secret room, the rooftop and finally the gymnasium—before the shoot is over.

While a myriad of cameras, brand reps, make-up artists and stylists following their every move, Erica and Olivia, the two younger sisters of the Ogwumike family who are in town for the summer, shadow Nneka and Chiney and make sure to get a few glamour shots in with adidas gear.

“We fell into basketball and fell in love with it,” says Chiney, who’s still in the middle of rehab for an Achilles injury. “I think that adidas really allows us to be our true selves. We stick together, as the Cheetah Girls say.”

“I like [the Crazy Explosive] a lot,” Andrew Wiggins said before the season. “I like the different colorways. I like the comfort level, the BOOST at the bottom. When you stand up and you’re wearing the show it’s like you’re standing on a big cushion. It’s dope.”

In the middle of his first season as an adidas athlete Kristaps Porzingis told us, “Honestly it’s much more comfortable than I expected. The landing after my dunks is so soft, I don’t hurt my feet at all. I know they’re still working [on a new design of the shoe], so the shoe will only get better. It’s amazing for my feet, I have nothing bothering me.”

The Three Stripes used Wiggins as the Crazy Explosive’s primary endorser. Wiggins, who put up a career-best 22.8 ppg this season, lived up to the sneaker’s name as he jumped out the gym more than a few times while rocking the kick:

After the All-Star break, adidas introduced a low Crazy Explosive, with floor generals like Kyle Lowry and Ricky Rubio wearing it while running the show. The low took away the original high collar that people were originally ragging on, but kept the BOOST and Primeknit upper.

Scroll through the gallery above to see Wiggins, Porzingis, Lowry, Rubio, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray and others who rocked the best colorways this season.

Adidas’ mission for the Harden Vol. 1 was to “wake the game up.” They wanted to create a sneaker that was different.

“This was my first time creating a shoe from the ground up,” Harden said, via press release when the silhouette was first unveiled. “With adidas, we wanted to stand for something different, be true to who we are and that’s how we separate ourselves. It’s built for how I play and you’ll see my style, different moods, the little details and stories that represent who I am. People always ask me, ‘How are you different?’ It’s hard to explain how you’re different but the shoe explains it for me.”

The Three Stripes built the Vol. 1 with a unique leather toe shroud that allowed for tons of colorways. They also scanned Harden’s foot to make a Beard-specific outsole. When they found the stress patterns that his feet follow, they had particular data driven sub-structures that resulted in a special traction pattern that helped Harden to EuroStep his way into buckets.

With his technology packed signature, Harden took to the court and had the best season of his eight-year career. He led the League in assists with 11.2 per game, put up 29.1 points, and grabbed 8.1 boards each night, guiding the Rockets to the No.3 seed in the West. While he was collecting ankles, he was wearing colorways that paid tribute to his college, his childhood promise to his mother, Arthur Ashe and how damn smooth his game has become.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the best colorways of Harden’s debut signature sneaker.

adidas Basketball continues to add to its WNBA roster with the addition of two of the game’s best talents. The Ogwumike sisters, who between them have a championship, an MVP, two Rookie of the Year trophies and four All-Star appearances, join the Three Stripes family. Nneka and Chiney confirmed their new deal yesterday on their Twitter accounts.

adidas is also adding Chelsea Gray, a member of the reigning champion Sparks, and Alexis Jones, incoming rookie. These four players join Candace Parker, Moriah Jefferson, Imani Boyette and Morgan Tuck as Three Stripes endorsees.

For Damian Lillard’s third signature sneaker, adidas switched the name up, shortening it from “D Lillard” to just “Dame.” Jesse Rademacher, the lead designer on the Dame 3, told us a few months back that the new sneaker was about the man, the musician and the basketball player.

In a press release from the Dame 3’s unveiling, Lillard said, “It’s allowing kids and people to relate to what I’ve been through. Everything has a story behind it. Similar to how I express myself through my own music, adidas embraces who I am to the fullest. That means more to me than anything else.”

Lillard averaged a career-best 27 points a game this season and managed to get the Blazers into the playoffs after a slow start to the regular season. He was en fuego after the All-Star break, too, putting up 29.7 points and 6 assists each night over the final stretch of the season.

Design-wise, Rademacher incorporated a new customizable lacing system on the Dame 3, allowing its wearer to tighten and loosen the shoe as much as possible. He also used BOUNCE cushioning and a new fused mesh upper for a lightweight and supportive ride on the hardwood.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the sneakers that Lillard was wearing during the best individual season of his career.

James, a high school hoops star at the time, had never seen that kind of money in his life before.

LBJ eventually inked a seven-year, $90 million pact with the Swoosh before playing his first NBA game.

Per the NEOMG:

“Being a first generational money maker in the household is a scary thing for an 18-year-old,” James tells Kneading Dough host and longtime business partner Maverick Carter. “I go from being in a classroom in May to being a multimillionaire in June.”

James reveals that [Reebok chairman Paul] Fireman offered him a check with the promise that the future superstar would not take endorsement meetings with Nike or Adidas.

“I flew in from Akron, Ohio, from Spring Hill, from the projects,” James said. “Our rent was like $17 a month. And Now I’m looking at a $10 million check that I can leave with and go back to high school the next day.”

James says it eventually occurred to him that if Reebok was willing to give him $10 million up front, what was to keep Nike or Adias from offering $20 or $30? Or maybe there was more to it than that.

“Maybe the up front money isn’t the biggest thing,” James said. “Let’s start thinking about the back end.”

From the Primeknit upper to the BOOST midsole, the new adidas Yeezy BOOST 350 V2 is decked out in a “Cream White” colorway. The Three Stripes have the new colorway coming in adult’s and infant’s sizes.

One day before these release, reservations can be made through adidas’ Confirmed App. And if you strike out on the app, the shoe can be scooped at these stores around the world.

“Because I was one of the youngest in our neighborhood growing up, I was smaller than everybody and I was playing against kids older and bigger than me,” Damian Lillard says, via press release. “It made me better, it made me tougher. That’s always how it was and something I carry with me today.”

That mentality inspires the adidas Dame 3 “By Any Means.” The new colorway has black and blue detailing with dark gray accents. No matter how many bumps and bruises Lillard gets, he’s still going to rise above.

James Harden’s on the very shortlist of legit MVP candidates this season with his career-best numbers in points (29.2), rebounds (8.1) and assists (11.2). His Rockets sit comfortably in the West’s third seed a year removed from going 41-41 and getting bounced in the first round.

Harden’s career year has been lighting up scoreboards across the League. He’s a triple-double threat every night, the key behind the scary offensive attack that the Rockets bring every night.

His ability to light up the scoreboard inspires the latest Harden Vol. 1 colorway. The “Red Glare” 1s feature a vibrant leather toe shroud with a knit upper and matching accents designed in tonal shades of red.

Back when he was playing AAU ball, Damian Lillard would practice at the Berkley Adult School, on the West Campus. It was an old gym with white walls, wooden backboards, unfinished floors and worn out bleachers.

“They had wooden backboards with black tape where the square should be,” Lillard says via press release. “One net was white and the other was red, white and blue. It was always cold because the windows up top were broken out. All kinds of crazy stuff.

“West Campus is where we practiced with Coach Young lifting those bricks,” he continued. “It was an abandoned building, but they had a gym in there that we could use for free. It’s just funny because that was normal for us. That’s where it all started.”

The “West Campus” Dame 3’s off-white upper takes its cue from the gym’s white walls, while the cargo detailing and burgundy accents portray the wooden backboards.

The official sneakers and uniforms for the 2017 McDonald’s All-American Games were officially revealed on Tuesday. This year’s All-Americans will suit up in the Harden Vol. 1 and the Crazy Explosive Primeknit. The men’s black and white game jerseys will feature silver accents while the women’s jerseys will sport red accents. Scroll through the photo gallery above to see this year’s gear from adidas.

Damian Lillard’s spent his career preaching that hard work can take you anywhere. We’ve talked to him about it, talked to others about it and seen him talk to kids about it. He’s leaving a legacy that’s extending beyond basketball and that’s the inspiration behind his newest Dame 3.

He’s rapped about going back to the neighborhood to teach a kid to throw a spiral and coming back just to save his peers. The “Legacy” Dame 3s, an extension of those lyrics, feature an all white upper and gum sole.

March Madness is right around the corner and adidas is getting their schools ready in style. The collection features a re-engineered mesh fabric designed for increased breathability and French terry wipe-zones for further sweat management. For the first time, both men’s and women’s teams will don new uniforms for postseason play. The men’s jerseys have team slogans emblazoned along the bottom of each jersey’s side to emphasize a team-first mentality while the women’s jerseys have black trim strategically placed at the bottom so the players can look down and spot their team’s rallying cry.

The Jayhawks are going to be wearing the Crazy Explosive Low, the Sun Devils will be in the Harden Vol. 1 and Indiana, Louisville, Miami, Nebraska, Mississippi State, NC State and Texas A&M are getting the Dame 3. All the kicks feature either a school pride mid-sole or solid color mid-sole with an iced-out bottom that allows the team graphics to show through.

All the apparel and sneakers are available now at adidas.com and on the respective campuses.

Since Zach LaVine’s unfortunate ACL injury in early February, Andrew Wiggins has been on a tear. He’s averaging better than 28 a game and has hit the 20-point mark in 19 straight games, the longest current streak in the League. He’ll look to extend his hot shooting while wearing two brand new Crazy Explosive Low PEs, both of which will hit stores.

The “Gold Standard” is decked out with a navy blue upper that sits on top of a royal blue midsole. It has gold accents and silver Three Stripes.

The “Wolf Gray” has a wave pattern featuring black and gray Primeknit along the upper. The Three Stripes and AW logo are contrasted by an iced black outsole for a tribute to the T’Wolves.

The “Gold Standard” drops tomorrow for $120, while the “Wolf Gray” releases on April 7 for $140 on adidas.com.

“It’s a different level right here,” James Harden said about the “Gravy” 1s. “We tried to find a shoe that would give me that swag. That’s how the gray was created, it all flows. You look good, you play good.”

The newest Hardens fuses a glitch knit upper with a leather toe shroud and light gray accents across the Three Stripes and Harden Mark. Matte detailing wraps full-length BOOST on the lateral edge.

For the second time, adidas and James Harden are showing the love to the ASU Sun Devils. With next weekend’s “Fear the Fork” release, the Three Stripes is bringing Tempe another sneaker.

The “Fear the Fork” has a black knit upper and gold across the toe, laces, three stripes and Harden Mark to reflect the desert sun and pay tribute to the gold in ASU’s uniforms.

“I decided to go to ASU, do my own thing and it was all work from there,” Harden said via press release. “That was the beginning of who I am as a man. I could’ve left school after my freshman year, but I felt like I wasn’t mature yet and had more growing up to do. Arizona State helped me, and I got to show my love and how much they mean to me.”

With the Crazy Explosive, adidas shifted its attention to high performance silhouettes. The original Crazy Explosive debuted during the summer and immediately gained traction as a polarizing sneaker. Its GeoFit bootie and rounded midsole make it a can’t miss. Players around the League have rocked the Crazy Explosive all season.

adidas is doubling down on the success of the Crazy Explosive with an all new Low silhouette. The Lows feature full-length BOOST, a TPU roll cage to withstand pressure on hard drives to the rim and coral constructed power traction.

The Crazy Explosive Low is available starting today at adidas locations for $120, with a Primeknit version hitting stores on March 10 for $140.

In May of 2015, three years after being drafted by the Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard fulfilled a promise to his mother and himself and graduated from college. The Dame 3 “Wasatch Front” pays tribute to this achievement and represents Damian’s most trying and triumphant moments as a player and a man.

On the track “Wasatch Front,” Dame D.O.L.L.A. takes us on his journey from Oakland to Ogden, Utah as he started his college career at Weber State University.

“Reminiscing on the days I ain’t know what was ahead / What I gotta do to make sho the family fed / Staring at the ceiling struggling to go to bed / Tryna pass class split the needle with a thread”

The newest Dame 3 has a dark gray upper with white BOUNCE cushioning, light gray accents and a purple sockliner and matching three stripes displayed on the outsole. The colorway is named for the mountain range bordering Ogden that rises to create the Wasatch Front, a stretch of land that spans across cities in north-central Utah.

Drawing inspiration from Damian Lillard’s ability to deliver the knockout punch, adidas is releasing a black colorway of the Dame 3. The “Lights Out” Dame 3 features an all black upper set against black laces and BOUNCE cushioning outsole.

James Harden has been on a season-long tear, ripping up the League to the tune of 29 points, 8 rebounds and an NBA-best 11.4 dimes each and every night. He’s playing with his foot on the gas pedal and the Three Stripes have noticed.

The “No Brakes” Vol. 1 features various hues of gray across a knit upper, orange laces and sharp purple contrasts. Gray detailing is added to the heel’s three stripes and leather toe, while gradient treatment fades from purple to orange along the outsole. “No Brakes” is printed on the left sockliner.

These drop on February 10, for $140 at adidas.com. And look for the Beard to lace these up at this year’s All-Star Game.

The adidas Superstar first launched in 1969 as a basketball sneaker. In the nearly 50 years since then, the Superstar’s become a go-to silhouette for style and comfort.

With the advancement of adidas’ BOOST technology, a breakthrough in cushioning and responsiveness, the Three Stripes have placed themselves at the forefront of sneaker technology. They’re bringing that tech to the Superstar.

Made out of premium elk leather in monochrome black and white colorways, the new Superstar features a full-length BOOST midsole. The BOOST can be seen on the sneaker’s medial arch.

The Superstar Boost drops on February 9 at adidas.com and adidas retailers in men’s and women’s sizes.

The Dame 3 has quickly become one of the internet’s most popular shoes. adidas hasn’t wasted any time in dropping tough colorways and the customizable lacing system, solid stories and mid-cut have made it a can’t miss.

With the Chinese New Year starting on January 28, Dame and adidas are making sure to give our brothers and sisters to the east some fire. These have been out in China for a little while, and with no official release date from the Three Stripes, all we can do is admire the “CNY” Dame 3s from afar.

There have been rumblings about a stateside release, so keep it locked for updates.

With his outstanding play all season long, James Harden’s silenced every critic who said he can’t be a point guard. He’s leading the League in assists and has the Rockets in the third spot in the Western Conference standings.

The Three Stripes is paying tribute to Harden’s ability to thrive no matter what with the release of the “Disruptor” Vol. 1s. Gold accenting, a white upper and black forefoot make up the “Disruptor.” As has been the case with each Vol. 1 drop, adidas has switched up the materials. This time they went with a perforated medial side.

Arthur Ashe was the first African-American tennis player to ever win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He was the world’s best tennis player and he broke barriers as he broke opponents hearts.

adidas celebrates his incredible legacy with three new colorways of the Harden Vol. 1, Dame 3 and D Rose 7. The sneakers feature scholastic legacy webbing, a multi-color pattern featured along the sockliner, collar and additional silhouette details for the honorary degrees Ashe received from more than 20 universities during his life and posthumously.

All three shoes are available now. The Harden Vol. 1 ($140), Dame 3 ($115) and D Rose 7 ($140) can be scooped at adidas.com.

Andrew Wiggins is front and center for adidas Athletics and Reigning Champ‘s newest collab. Reigning Champ’s based in Wiggins’ native Canada. The tracksuits in this “Made in Canada” pack are made with Reigning Champ’s signature Heavyweight Terry fabric and feature subtle 3-stripe branding on the jacket sleeves and pant legs.

The pack is handcrafted by Reigning Champ at their Vancouver factory, from custom Canadian-made fabric. It releases on January 12 at adidas.com, Reigning Champ, adidas stores, Reigning Champ stores in Toronto and Vancouver and select Foot Locker stores in North America.

Walk around the adidas campus in Portland and you’ll quickly learn two things: The Three Stripes has put a premium on storytelling and Damian Lillard might as well have a desk on-site. The whole basketball and PR team jokes about how much Dame shows up to talk about his sneakers. They also talk about how seriously he takes his sneakers.

“Every step of the way, he understands that process,” Jesse Rademacher, the 3’s lead designer says. “He comes along with us. And he trusts us, that we’re gonna get to that next stage. Bring not just the product, but bring his stories to life. The story of the Dame 3 this year is about the man, the basketball player and the musician,” Rademacher says. ”

A storyteller himself, Dame D.O.L.L.A.’s debut album, The Letter O, isn’t about the ways he’s spending his millions or how many girls he has hanging off his arm. Instead, the Oakland native tells his life’s story, speaks about his family’s influence and tries to uplift today’s kids. He gives an honest description of the world. It’s obvious he put time and effort into it, which, after speaking with his adidas team, is a theme that runs throughout his life.

“He really loves the creative process and being involved,” Alex Zerzan, adidas Basketball Global Product Manager says. “We’re incredibly fortunate that he is local and that he can come up and pop in to review sketches and designs and give us real time feedback.”

All his feedback led to the Dame 3, a peak performance sneaker that’s being used to continue to tell the story of not just Dame, but the friends and family who have helped shape his life.

“Because he’s local and because his brother and sister and family and friends are here, we’re able to talk with a lot of them, to get a lot of different stories,” Zerzan says. “Not only just a story through Dame’s eyes, but maybe through his brother or sister’s.”

Just because adidas focused on narrative for the Dame 3 doesn’t mean they didn’t pack it with a bunch of new tech. Rademacher put in a new lacing system that’s reinforced with a TECHFIT bootie to hug the foot. The lacing system features different lace holes starting from the mid foot and concluding close to the heel, allowing for a totally customized fit. There’s also a new fused mesh upper that will help the sneaker already feel worn-in straight out the box, something Zerzan says was high on Dame’s wishlist.

The traction pattern is constructed with geometric simplicity that ties back to Dame’s milk crate origins. The silhouette’s unique cut is a result of Dame’s preference towards a lower collar. Rademacher and Zerzan call it a “5/8s” height.

The TPU on the mid foot provides support and the 3’s BOUNCE cushioning is for more than just support and comfort. BOUNCE helps to keep the sneaker cheaper so that it’s affordable for all of Dame’s fans, another key request from Lillard (the sneaker costs $115).

“Working with adidas, every step of the way is about telling my story,” Lillard says, via press release. “It’s allowing kids and people to relate to what I’ve been through. Everything has a story behind it. Similar to how I express myself through my own music, adidas embraces who I am to the fullest. That means more to me than anything else.”

There’s the initials of his mother and two grandmothers (Gina:Cecilia:Ruth) on the right toe and the initials of his father and grandfather (Houston:Albert) on the left. “WEARING THE LETTER O” is printed on the left sockliner as tribute to both Dame’s pre-game introduction in Portland and his album. And Oakland, Ogden (where Weber State’s located) and Oregon is on the right sockliner.

“Dame is a man of the people. It’s not a story about him—it’s a story for his fans,” Rademacher says. “He’s a human being. He’s been through a lot of the things that everybody else is going through. He wants to use those as inspiration to get people through those hard times that he struggled through himself.”

—

The Dame 3 “Roots” colorway is currently sold out for now. The “Rip City” Dame 3 drops on January 19.

adidas and Damian Lillard officially unveiled the Dame 3 sneaker today, which launches in limited quantities of the “Roots” colorway on December 14 for $115 on adidas.com, with more colorways coming throughout the season—like the “Rip City” version which drops on January 19. Scroll through the photos above to get a closer look, and read more straight from our friends at adidas below:

It all started on a milk crate. Dame’s grandfather would round up the leftover plastic boxes from Brookfield Elementary School, cut out the bottoms and nail them up on a telephone pole in their front yard so Dame could play basketball close to home. It’s a humble reminder of his beginnings rooted in Oakland, California and a neighborhood that laid the foundation to who Dame would become both on and off the court.

“Oakland taught him the good and the bad, toughness and determination,” explained his mother, Gina. “Raising Damian…our family did it as a team. He understands how to help others because that’s what he’s been nurtured in to. He’s going to make sure everybody knows there’s an opportunity out there for them to make it.”

“Damian inspires all of us with his path in life and his approach to the game, giving the design team plenty to work with. We set out to create a shoe that embraces who Dame is, from his debut album ‘The Letter O’ to his community efforts and all the unique ways he connects with fans,” said Jesse Rademacher, adidas Basketball Design Director. “Above all else, his commitment to kids and those around him show his true character.”

Founded on his creative ability as a storyteller with a deeper level of athlete insights and performance testing, Damian’s third signature shoe is built by years of close collaboration and designed to elevate one of the game’s most elite point guards.

“With this being my third shoe, it’s all about appreciation for the people that went out of their way so I’d be able to hoop growing up,” Dame said. “There were a lot of things that happened where if I didn’t have a strong support system – it probably would’ve drowned me. But my family helped me rise up, and now I want to inspire and encourage everyone else to do the same thing.”

Dame continued, “Working with adidas, every step of the way is about telling my story. It’s allowing kids and people to relate to what I’ve been through. Everything has a story behind it. Similar to how I express myself through my own music, adidas embraces who I am to the fullest. You see it in the colorways and stories being told. That means more to me than anything else.”

Roots – the first chapter of Dame 3 – returns to his early AAU days with the Oakland Rebels. He played for tough but fair head coach Raymond Young, who created a path for Dame’s unrelenting attitude by challenging players to hold bricks in each hand when practicing their defensive stance. Roots features a triple red design to remember each brick Dame carried, paying tribute to the moments that built his career early on.

“He was teaching us that you got to be on time, you got to be a hard worker,” Dame recalled. “If not, this is what you’re going to do until you figure it out. For me, those lessons carried on past the basketball court.”

Hometown coordinates and initials of family represent the influential support Dame’s received on his journey, including:

• The initials of his mother and two grandmothers (Gina:Cecilia:Ruth) are molded onto the right toe while the initials of his father and grandfather (Houston:Albert) are showcased on the left • The longitude (37.737 degrees north) and latitude (-122.188 degrees west) of Oakland’s Brookfield neighborhood are featured on the outrigger of the left and right foot, respectively • 56316, the code displayed on the telephone pole in front his grandparents’ house where Dame learned to shoot on a milk crate, is featured on the center of the outsole • “WEARING THE LETTER O” is printed on the left sockliner as tribute to both Dame’s pre-game introduction in Portland and his debut album titled “The Letter O,” signifying the three locations most important to his career – Oakland, Ogden and Oregon – printed on the right sockliner

A customizable lacing system is equipped for unrivaled lockdown, designed to complement a TECHFIT bootie and uniquely hug the foot for personalized fit. Dame 3 features a fused mesh upper that ensures season-long durability without comprising comfort and breathability. A softer material execution along the upper maintains structure and support while also fulfilling “no break in time” on-court.

The model’s traction pattern is constructed with geometric simplicity that ties back to Dame’s milk crate origins, while optimizing grip for his lethal step-back jumper. Wrapped TPU at the center of the foot represents Dame’s family support system with an internal torsion plate to provide fine-tuned stability.

Dual-density BOUNCE cushioning is engineered for natural court feel from tip-off to the final buzzer, delivering step-in comfort and optimized balance. Born from a “sit low, play fast” mentality true to Dame’s style of play, the silhouette is executed with high sides to enhance control and stability while keeping Dame close to the court when banking against defenders.

The XENO collection is inspired by the Xenopeltis snake found in the Southeast region of Asia and its highly iridescent scales. Each shoe has an all-black upper and reflective accenting. For the Harden Vol. 1 XENO ‘way, the Three Stripes on the heel get the special treatment. The XENO accents reveal a color-shifting finish when hit with a flash of light.

Adidas’ UltraBOOST line has proved to be wildly successfully. It’s given the Three Stripes a brand new demographic of consumers. These aren’t your daddy’s running shoes. Nah, these are worn by sneakerheads every day now.

Adidas has just introduced the third version of the sneaker, which will be releasing tomorrow. Here’s more straight from them:

The Primeknit features an updated rib structure for an even better fit, support and breathability. This season’s color is inspired by the elements and each is purposeful and carefully considered. The saturated night shades of winter make their way into steely blues and reds that represent the raw, unpolished inspiration behind the materials.

For the second colorway of his signature sneaker, James Harden popped up at the Santa Monica adidas store to pick up the tab for a few lucky sneakerheads waiting in line for the “Pioneer” 1s. After that, he made a stop at Nice Kicks for a West Coast style block party with food, hoops, custom art by @thankyoux and performances by DJ E-Rock, DJ Justin Credible and DJ Mustard.

In New York, those lucky enough to be in attendance got an intimate performance from Jeezy and art by @askewone at the adidas x Foot Locker Harden Vol. 1 launch party at NYC33. In Atlanta, Wheeler High School hosted their Harden Vol. 1 celebration with @occasionalsuperstar designing Harden-themed art posters and DJ Esco spinning for thousands of high school basketball players.

The “Pioneer” 1s are available now at adidas.com and Foot Locker for $140.

On the season, Rose is averaging 16.4 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 boards per game for the 9-9 Knicks. At 28 years old and with one year left on his contract, the former MVP is looking to continue to improve throughout the season to ensure that he not only racks up plenty of wins, but a nice contract, too. On Monday, Rose went head-to-head with Russell Westbrook and scored 30 points, grabbed 7 boards and dished out 4 assists and looked more like the DRose of old—a good sign for Knicks fans who haven’t seen their squad make the playoffs in three years.

Last night, DRose and teammates Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn kicked it at the new adidas store in NYC. Between cracking jokes with KP, Hernangomez and O’Quinn, Rose chopped it up with SLAM about the D Rose 7, Russell Westbrook, Tom Thibodeau and taking on more of a leadership role on the Knicks.

SLAM: How have you liked playing in the D Rose 7 so far this season?

Derrick Rose: I love the 7, man. It was the only shoe I had total control over and seeing everything develop on the shoe. The [D Rose 8] and [D Rose 9] that’s coming out over the next few years, I’m involved in making the shoe. It means a lot to me and my partnership with adidas.

SLAM: A lot of guys are getting low cut sneakers now—do you think you’ll get something like that in the D Rose line?

DR: I don’t know, man, I don’t know. If they make it for the fans, I’ll probably put it out but my personal shoe will still have to be a mid-cut [laughs.] As far as right now, I love for my ankle to feel secure in a mid-cut shoe. I don’t want it high-top, but mid-cut is good for me.

SLAM: The Knicks are 6-4 in the last 10 games. Are you guys starting to develop chemistry?

DR: It’s taking time, man. Everyone is getting comfortable with each other and figure out a new system without making things hard for each other on the floor. Of course, I can’t play the same way I played in Chicago with this team, like coming out and firing right away. I’ll look dumb shooting all those shots I shot in Chicago with this team and with the talent we have with this team. It’s about being patient, taking our time and letting it all click. At some point in the season, I know I’ll be able to play the way I normally know how to play. First we gotta learn how to win.

DR: I can still hoop, man. There’s a time and place for all that. Me coming out and being aggressive, Coach wanted me to play like that and he wanted me to matchup with Westbrook. Then there’s a game like last night in Minnesota where I only shot 12 times and we still won the game.

Finding out how we’re going to win games, we got 10 new people on the team—it’s not like they had a foundation here and we came right into it. We’re building the culture. We’re building the foundation now. I’m under a one-year contract so of course I want to play the rest of my life here. But it takes time, it takes patience to figure out how every one is going to fit, if it is going to fit and going from there.

SLAM: Right, it’s only game 18 of the season. It’s more important where you’re at in game 60.

DR: Exactly. Our goal is to have fun while we’re playing and get to the playoffs. After that, we’ll see where we’re at.

SLAM: Russell Westbrook is probably the biggest story in the NBA. What do you make of the season he’s having thus far?

DR: This is the first time the League has seen something like this in a long time. It shows how hard he’s working. It shows that hard work pays off.

SLAM: After seeing you, Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O’Quinn and Kristaps interact, it seems like you guys really get along.

DR: Yeah, they’re playful, man, they’re really playful guys. Willy and KP, they played on their Euro team together so they got a lot of chemistry. They’re young, and they listen and they want to win. I can talk to them however I want—not in a disrespectful way—like yelling on the court and they don’t take it personal or disrespectful. That goes a long way in having chemistry on a team. You’re dealing with guys in the NBA with egos an money and that ego and pride comes into place. You gotta talk to guys without hurting feelings or being disrespectful.

SLAM: When you came in with the Bulls, you were that young dude who had a lot of veteran leadership around. Do you feel like you’re transforming into that role as a mentor for the young guys now?

DR: That’s my goal, man. My goal is to help guys get better, help guys win and win along the way, get better and prove myself. When I got a guy like KP on my team, it’s no point in me coming down and shooting some crazy shots, or make crazy moves like I used to. My job is to pick and choose my spots and go from there.

SLAM: We’ve noticed in the way you’ve been playing, you’ve been really crafty at the rim and using the rim as a weapon to keep shot blockers away. Is that something you worked on to avoid contact when going up for a layup?

DR: Yeah, that and putting different parts in my game to attack without thinking. The last three years I had injuries and when you’re on the floor after you have injuries, you’re thinking on the floor instead of reacting. Right now I’m attacking the rim. Second part of the season I’m going to have my jump shot. Third part of the season and the playoffs I’m going to have the trey ball. I’m working on pieces of my game so I’m improving and helping the team along the way.

SLAM: You guys played the Wolves on Wednesday and again Friday night. Have you talked to Thibs at all? He had a huge impact on you and your career—how do you feel about the way things have worked out for you guys after leaving Chicago?

DR: Yeah, I talked to him a little bit. I think things are going to work out well. Thibs, he’s got a young group over there. I think we both have room and space for opportunity. We both work so hard at our craft and what we do that nothing but good is going to come from it. I think we’re good people and we obsess for greatness. I think he wants success and when you have that and good people around you, I think you find your way to success.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/derrick-rose-adidas-interview/feed/02016 NBAENEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 22: Derrick Rose #25 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 22, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)Kristaps Porzingis Talks adidas, Knicks and Players Trying to Dunk On Himhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/kristaps-porzingis-interview-adidas/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/kristaps-porzingis-interview-adidas/#respondFri, 02 Dec 2016 03:04:15 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=418643

In his second year as a pro, Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis is quickly emerging as a star player. Starting to realize his potential, Porzingis said earlier this week that he and Karl-Anthony Towns are “two big men that can change the game.”

Averaging 21.4 points per game, 7.2 boards and 1.5 blocks per game for the 9-9 Knicks, KP has social media going crazy with a highlight block, massive dunk or deep 3-pointer every time he touches the floor. At 7-3, Porzingis is living up to and exceeding the hype he built in his rookie year.

Off the court, Kristaps is well on his way to becoming a star endorser for adidas. Having signed a multi-year contract with Three Stripes in October, Porzingis joins a dope roster that includes teammates Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, as well as Damian Lillard, Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Lowry. The big man has been hooping in Crazy Explosives all season and if things keep going the way they have been, it could only be a matter of time before the Latvian native gets his own signature look.

On Thursday night, Porzingis, along with teammates Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O’Quinn and DRose dropped by the new adidas store in midtown Manhattan. SLAM chopped it up with Porzingis about signing with adidas, the Knicks and how he feels about players trying to dunk on him.

SLAM: You made big news in the sneaker world by deciding to sign with adidas. Why did you decide to sign with them? What was their pitch to you like?

Kristaps Porzingis: What I loved about adidas the most is they give their athletes freedom; they let them create, they let them have a voice. In the meeting I had with them, everything I wanted to hear, I heard. It wasn’t about the money, I really felt that this was the brand for me, it felt right. I knew what I wanted at that point.

SLAM: How have you liked playing in the Crazy Explosive so far?

KP: Honestly it’s much more comfortable than I expected. The landing after my dunks is so soft, I don’t hurt my feet at all. I know they’re still working [on a new design of the shoe], so the shoe will only get better. It’s amazing for my feet, I have nothing bothering me.

SLAM: For a big dude like yourself that’s so important.

KP: Super important. That’s why the number one thing for me was if I decided to switch brands from Nike to adidas, the shoe had to be comfortable because my feet are the most important thing, basically.

KP: I hope so, I hope so. That’s a dream for me to have a long, successful career in the NBA and it’s the same for him. Hopefully we have many more chances to play against one another and have a long rivalry.

SLAM: The Knicks are 6-4 in the last 10 games. Have things changed at all since the start of the season, or are things just starting to click a little bit for you guys?

KP: We’re figuring it out on the court as we play a lot of times and we’re realizing how much talent we have. This is a big season for us, we can’t just let it pass by, we have to take every opportunity and treat every game like it’s our last. We can’t feel comfortable at any point. We’re still figuring it out, we’re not even close to what we can do and how much potential we have. We’re working towards that and once we click 100 percent, we can do big things.

SLAM: You’ve been taking right around 20 shots over the past five games. Have you been getting more plays drawn up for you or is everything coming in the flow of the offense?

KP: I think the point guards are looking for me. They want me to attack, they want me to create for others and the ball is getting to me. It doesn’t mean every time I have to attack, I can drive, kick out and keep playing and good things come out of that. I think it’s more teammates are finding me and know what position I’m going to be in and where I can attack and be effective.

SLAM: Carmelo is going to get his shots, Derrick is going to get his shots. Does your recent surge in shot attempts and scoring make you guys more formidable and help ease the burden on Carmelo a little bit?

KP: Yes, for sure. Since I’ve been here he’s been that guy for me and he still is the guy that draws the most attention from the defense. That gives me more space and more options to be open. Same thing with Derrick, he’ so aggressive and he creates for others and that’s what we love about him. The defense collapses and he’s able to kick the ball out and get me good looks.

KP: [Laughs] I don’t know, I don’t know. They probably asked him a tricky question, like, ‘Will you try and dunk on Porzingis?’ Of course whoever is in front of you, you’re going to try and dunk. He probably has the highest vertical in the NBA and that’s what he does. But if I see him coming to try and dunk on me, I’m going to go for the block. If you’re a shot blocker you’re going to get dunked on, that’s my mentality.

Kris Dunn’s from New London, a rough part of Connecticut. He and his brother even had to live alone for a few months. That mentality has stayed with him throughout his life, until, as he says in the video above, he got to Minnesota.

“Where I’m from, people are walking around, everybody’s minding their own business, Dunn said. “I like to walk with my headphones in, but in Minneapolis, they always ask you, ‘How’s your day going?’ Or, ‘Hope you have a good day.’ So now, I don’t walk to practice with my headphones in.”

Along with throwing an oop to Desiigner, and meeting up with some lucky fans to go bowling, Dunn talks more about his transition to the League in the video above.

Following the massive success of the first 350 V2 release a few months ago, adidas is set to release three more V2 colorways.

All dropping this week, the sneakers have all black uppers and either a copper, red or green stripe down their lateral side. Here’s more from adidas:

The YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 midsole utilizes adidas’ innovative BOOST™ technology to create a durable, shock-resistant, responsive sole. At the same time, the breakthrough Primeknit material leverages adidas’ most advanced digital knitting techniques to fit like a second skin.

Reservations for the YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 will be offered at select adidas retail locations prior to release day through the adidas Confirmed App. The app has been completely redesigned with the consumer in mind and continues to simplify the reservation process with a first come, first served methodology. The app is available in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and the U.S., and will manage reservations in select adidas stores. For this release adidas Confirmed will now support Washington DC and Orlando, FL in addition to 12 other US cities.

For their second Futurecraft silhouette, adidas turned their attention to BioSteel fiber. Seven times stronger than regular steel, BioSteel was used throughout the sneaker’s upper. The material’s all-natural, 15% lighter than conventional synthetic materials and much, much more supportive.

The shoe was unveiled at the renowned Biofabricate Conference in New York as adidas and AMSilk announced a partnership that will explore the use of BioSteel fiber in performance products on a larger scale.

There’s no release date for the “Biofabric” at the moment. Check out pictures up top.

Each Harden Vol. 1 tells a different story. With that in mind, adidas will be using different materials on different colorways. The Vol. 1’s most prominent feature, the toe shroud, is done up in black suede on these new joints. And the Three Stripes’ BOOST cushioning returns, along with a mix of mesh and knit materials.

These are based on a note Harden wrote to his mother.

“PS: Keep this paper. Imma be a star.”

That was 13 years ago. Along with being one of the League’s most devasting forces and the current assists leader, the Beard can add clairvoyant to his resume.

Sitting on the edge of Coney Island in Brooklyn, Abraham Lincoln High School’s best known for producing Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair, Lance Stephenson and Isaiah Whitehead. But it’s really like any other high school in New York City, full of energetic young kids who love basketball, music and dancing.

Its small gym has been featured in movies and TV shows dating back to Telfair in the early 2000s and in He Got Game (it’s on Netflix now!). When Damian Lillard got on the mic in that famed gym, in front of 100 or so people last night, he said, “I know this is a legendary place, thank y’all for having me.”

Then he spoke for around 45 minutes, answering questions about mental preparation, how he’s dealt with the pressure the game brings. He talked about his family and his love of music. When one student challenged him to spit a freestyle, he paused. The whole gym was in the palm of his hand, waiting to see if DAME D.O.L.L.A. would be making an appearance. After a moment he said, “Y’all not gonna gas me!” The gym erupted with laughter.

There were shooting contests for $500 adidas gift cards. One member of the boys team against one member of the girls team. When neither one of them could make the shot, Dame tried, but he launched an airball from about 30 feet out. New shooters were picked and when they couldn’t hit, Dame scooped up a ball, took his sweatshirt off and swished the 30-footer.

After the shooting contests, one member from each team got picked for a dance-off. “Juju on That Beat” started blasting. The whole gym got sized down to just the dance circle. Dame was in there somewhere, dancing along with the kids.

Before he patiently took pictures with almost everyone in the gym, Dame presented the boys and girls teams with new jerseys and special D Lillard 2s. A new chapter in one of the most stories programs in New York is officially underway.

The Xenopeltis snake is found in the Southeast region of Asia and it’s the inspiration for three new sneakers that adidas Basketball’s releasing. Designed with all-black uppers and reflective accents, each model features unique XENO detailing that reveal a color-shifting finish when hit with a flash of light.